


Why is your heart beating so fast?

by Poppyseed29



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Cunnilingus, Dry Humping, F/M, Love Confessions, Masturbation in Shower, One True Pairing, Oral Sex, Power Outage, Romantic Fluff, Sex, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed, Smut, Thanksgiving, Vaginal Fingering, westallen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-06-01 14:59:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15145661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poppyseed29/pseuds/Poppyseed29
Summary: Barry is looking forward to going home for his first Thanksgiving break since going away to college. But when Joe has to cancel, Iris comes to visit Barry instead. Little do they know, a terrible winter storm is on the way. What will Barry and Iris do when the power and heat go out?Or, a romantic and sexy story about AU Barry & Iris getting together.





	1. Iris Arrives

That was it: the last of Barry’s mid-terms. It was just his luck to have an exam in the last time slot before the Thanksgiving break, but now it was over. It might have been too soon to say for sure, but he was pretty sure he aced it.

Barry tossed his examination booklet into the hand-in pile with a dopey grin, and raced from the examination hall. A new feeling of lightness replaced the heady weight he felt earlier as he entered the building. Now, there would be no more stress until after the Thanksgiving Break, and he couldn’t wait for the weekend to get started.

Barry was going to catch the train home to Central City tomorrow and spend the holiday with Joe and Iris. He’d missed them both so much. He was excited to share notes with Iris about college. They had been texting daily, but he couldn’t wait to talk in person. They could compare the crazy antics of their dorms, the cafeteria food, new friends, their course work… Well, he wasn’t totally sure Iris would be interested in what he’d learned during quantum physics, but he knew she would at least humour him as he explained the more exciting phenomena of the universe.

Best of all, they could catch up on their Netflix: The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and if Barry had anything to say about it, Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Barry returned to his dorm room and began to empty his backpack, casually checking his phone as he took it from the front pocket. There was one missed call from Joe.

Barry pressed the call back button, and heard Joe’s voice answer on the other end. “Hey Barry, how did the exam go?”

“I killed it!” Barry smiled enthusiastically into the phone. “But I’m also super glad it’s over. What’s up? I saw you called.”

“Oh yeah,” Joe said. Barry could hear the bustling sounds of the precinct in the background. “I uh— I have some bad news about Thanksgiving, Barry.”

Barry’s stomach dropped. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Joe continued. “Look, I’m sorry, but Singh’s got me working on this sting operation. It’s probably going to come to a head this weekend. I’m not going to be home very much, and I thought it might be best if you and Iris stayed away from the house, just in case.”

“Oh,” Barry responded. He wasn’t trying to betray his disappointment, but it was spilling off of his lips without his consent.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much how Iris responded, too,” Joe admitted. “So I offered to cover her train ticket up to see you.”

Butterflies flapped in Barry’s stomach at the thought of Iris coming to visit. “You did?”

“I did. And since I didn’t think you’d mind, she’s on her way up to see you right now. She should be at the train station in about an hour.”

“Which train?” Barry asked.

“Let me see here…” Joe paused. “Train 59.”

“I’ll head down there to meet her.”

“Thanks Bear,” Joe replied. “And listen, I’m sorry about the weekend. But I promised to make it up to you at Christmas, and I hope you two have a good catch up.”

“I’m sure we will, Joe,” Barry replied. “It will be good to see each other. I’m just sad you won’t be part of the celebrations.”

“Me too. Think you’ll be able to find some turkey?”

Barry laughed. “I’m sure the cafeteria will have something.”

“Good to hear. K, I gotta let you go, but I’ll call you guys on Sunday. Love you, son.”

“Love you too Joe, talk soon.”

Barry’s emotions were on a rollercoaster ride as he put down his phone. On the one hand, his half-packed weekend bag now needed to be emptied. He got to work returning its contents to his wardrobe, bummed that there would be no Grandma Esther’s special Thanksgiving cranberry sauce. He wouldn’t get to sleep on the comfortable mattress in his old room at Joe’s house, either.

On the other hand, Iris was coming to visit him for the first time since they had left for college. The thought of her being in his tiny dorm room for four whole days was enough to make him float to the ceiling.

Then, he realized, he was going to need to clean up. He tore around the room, piling laundry in a basket, ripping the sheets from his bed and replacing them with new ones, stuffing papers into the drawers of his desk, and running to the recycling room down the hall to dispose of an unsightly number of pizza boxes.

He caught the bus from campus to the train station with just enough time to spare. Arriving on the platform, he collapsed panting onto a bench. The train was just pulling up.

The locomotive screeched to a halt, and the doors opened with the hiss of hydraulics. Barry scanned the disembarking passengers for a sign of Iris’ chocolate hair. He felt a pang of panic as he searched with no luck. Compulsively, he reached into his pocket for his phone. _Hey,_ he texted, _I’m here. Which car are you on?_

There was a brief pause, then his phone chimed in his hands.

 _I see you,_ she replied.

Barry looked up and craned his neck around. As the crowd parted, he spotted her.

Maybe it was the orange lights of the platform, or the haze from the diesel engine, or maybe it was Iris’ smile, but Barry could have sworn that she was glowing with an iridescent light. He jumped up from the bench, lunging towards her.

“Barry!” She greeted him happily, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Iris,” he sighed into her, as he pulled her close.

“It’s so good to see you!” She laughed as he held her. “Have we ever been away from each other for so long?”

Barry released her, not wanting to be too transparent. “Not since… not since I moved in with you and Joe, I think.” He blushed a little.

Iris nodded, knowing that he would be thinking about his mom. “Guess my dad managed to get a hold of you after all?” She asked, changing the topic.

“Oh… yeah. He did.”

“So, kind of a bummer that Thanksgiving is cancelled, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s cancelled,” he smiled down at her. “Just changed a bit.”

“I know, I know,” Iris replied, with a hint of a frown on her face. “I was just looking forward to going home to my own bed.”

“I was looking forward to that, too,” Barry said dreamily. “I — I mean home to my bed — not yours. You know what I mean.”

Iris laughed. “Well, if I can’t be home, I’m glad I’m here.”

Barry smiled back at her. “I’m glad you’re here, too.”

 

* * *

 

“I still can’t believe you landed a single!” Iris exclaimed as she threw her bag on Barry’s bed.

“There’s a lot of them in this res,” Barry said, taking a seat at his desk.

“That’s lucky. We’re all in doubles. It’s tough sharing with a neat freak.” She flopped down dramatically onto the mattress, as if woe betide her.

“Yeah, I can imagine that would be difficult for you.” He joked.

“Har har,” Iris drawled, rolling her eyes and shooting him a look.

“So what would you like to do first?” He started to ramble a bit. “If I’d known you were coming I would have planned out some stuff. We could do a tour of the campus, maybe visit the student pub — I’ve also got all our shows on Netflix, and then there’s this great pizza place we could order from, we could also —“

“— Student pub sounds great, Barry,” Iris interrupted, knowing that he could ramble on forever if left to his own devices. “I’m _starving_.” She flopped onto her stomach and buried her face in his comforter.

Barry knew she was being silly, but the sight of her lying on his dorm room bed stirred something inside him. He pushed the feeling down deep and said, “Pub it is.”

Barry led Iris out of the deserted dormitory. As they crossed the silent quad, it occurred to Barry that just about everyone had left for the holiday. They giggled and joked with each other, meandering through old, ivy covered buildings until they reached a low, 1970s structure with a red neon sign in the window that read, “Frank’s”.

“Who’s Frank?” Iris asked inquisitively as they approached.

Barry shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe the guy who started this place? It’s the main pub on campus. They have, like, open mics and movie nights and all that kind of stuff here. I should warn you though, the food isn’t that great.”

“Do they have beer?” Iris asked.

Barry looked at her. “Well, yeah, for the upper years.”

“Barry, haven’t you ever heard of a fake ID?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “What would Joe say?”

Iris rolled her eyes impatiently. “Joe isn’t here. C’mon Barry, we’re in college now, live a little.”

Barry opened the door for her and followed her inside. The place was abandoned, save one sour looking, bespectacled hipster tending bar. He leaned against the back of the counter, twirling the ends of his moustache between his fingers in boredom. He was slightly too old too be in college, but Barry would hazard a guess that he was still finishing his degree.

Barry walked across the pub, targeting a booth farthest from the bar.

“No one around, and you still go for the corner?” Iris teased, sliding into the booth across from him.

Barry shrugged. “I just figured you and I might have some catching up to do.”

“That, my friend, we do. But first: food and drinks! What do you want? It’s on me.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Barry said, pulling out his wallet.

Iris waved him away with her hands. “No sir, your money is no good here. And this has nothing to do with the fact that Dad gave me guilt money for bailing on Thanksgiving.”

Barry laughed. “Ah, well, in that case.” He folded his wallet back up and slid it back into the pocket of his jeans.

“So what’s good here?” She craned her neck around to read the menu, which was written in chalk above the bar.

“I usually get the nachos.”

“One order of nachos coming right up.” Iris scrambled out of the booth and headed for the bar.

The hipster bartender snapped out of his moustache twirling reverie and examined Iris with interest.

Barry’s eyes followed unintentionally as she placed their order. The conversation was just a murmur to his ears, but he noticed that Iris was trying to charm the bartender. She leaned forward slightly, and Barry couldn’t help but notice the length and shape of her legs as she did, or the way that her hips swayed gently as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.

A sense of guilt contracted in his stomach, and he tore his eyes away to stare down at the table. He knew he shouldn’t be looking at Iris like that, but he’d missed her so much. Now that she was here, it was hard not to notice all of the things about her that drove him crazy.

“All right, nachos are on the way, and—"

A pitcher of beer thudded onto the table, sloshing the contents around and disrupting Barry’s reflections.

“— a pitcher of Heineken.”

Barry stared up at Iris as she handed him a pint glass. “How did you…?”

She shrugged. “Believe it or not, but there’s a lot this smile can do.”

“I believe it,” Barry confessed.

Iris helped herself to a pint, then grabbed Barry’s glass and filled it up for him.

“Do you like it here Barry?” She asked, handing him the glass.

Barry took a sip and thought about it. Now that he was in college, he finally got to study everything that interested him the most, full time. In addition, his classmates were interested in the same stuff. They talked about it over dinners at the cafeteria, in dorm rooms, and at parties. In many ways, he felt like he’d found his people.

“Yeah, I love it. It’s great. I wish I could have come to college sooner,” he laughed.

“That’s great, Barry,” said Iris with a half-hearted smile. “I thought you might feel that way.”

Barry could see a hint of sadness in the way she spoke. “How are things going at National U?” He asked, prodding her for information.

“They’re okay,” Iris conceded.

“Just okay? I thought you liked it there? It sounded like you were meeting lots of cool people.”

“I was… I mean, I am,” Iris admitted. “It’s just — it’s hard being away from home, you know?”

Barry understood better than Iris could possibly imagine. Being away from Joe and Iris was a challenge. For all intents and purposes, they were his family. And Iris was his best friend. “Yeah,” he sighed. “I know.”

Barry felt the urge to reach his hand across the table and offer it to Iris. Tentatively, she slipped her palm into his, and he closed his other hand around her fingers. “It’s good to see you,” he confessed. The words felt like a weight off of his shoulders. He wanted to tell her how often he thought of her, how he was always wondering what she was up to, how he couldn’t wait to tell her every single thing that happened to him. “Iris… I really mi—“

“One order of nachos,” interrupted the bartender, in a less-than-enthused tone of voice. A large plate dropped down between Iris and Barry with a thud. Startled, Barry released Iris’ hand and jumped back against the booth.

“Oh, thanks.” Iris said, looking up at the server. “Could we get some guac on the side?”

The bartender stared down at her like he’d never heard anyone ask for guacamole with nachos before. “Trust me,” he said. “You don’t want the guac.”

“What’s up with him?” Iris asked Barry as the bartender turned and walked away.

Barry shrugged. “I’d guess he’s a lifer.”

“A lifer?”

“Yeah, you know. Someone who has so much fun in college they never leave… always one credit away from graduation… that kind of thing.”

“Hey don’t knock it, if you love college so much that could be you one day,” she teased him.

Barry kicked her playfully under the table in retaliation. “That is not going to be me, and you know it.”

They snickered and whispered conspiratorially while the pitcher and the guac-less nachos slowly disappeared. A warmth crept into Barry’s cheeks with each sip. He was sure his cheeks were flushed, but he didn’t mind so much. Iris was glowing and could hardly stop giggling as he did impressions of his professors and people they knew from high school. The outside world seemed to disappear around them, and after a while all that existed was Barry, Iris and a couple of empty pint glasses.

“Okay lovebirds,” said the hipster bartender as he approached. “I’m closing up.”

“Oh, we — we’re not — lovebirds.“ Barry stammered, motioning his fingers back and forth between him and Iris.

Iris continued to giggle as a yawn tried to escape her mouth.

“Uh huh,” replied the bartender, skepticism dripping off both syllables.

“We’ll get out of your hair.” Barry conceded, then turned to Iris. “I guess it is getting kinda late.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, still chuckling from her belly.

 

Outside, they found the temperature had dropped a few degrees. There was an icy chill in the air, and Barry shivered under the fabric of his too-thin jacket.

“Brrr!” Iris exclaimed as she followed out the door. “When did it get so cold? It smells like it is going to snow.” She hooked her arm under Barry’s elbow, and pressed against him as they began to walk. His body tensed at her touch, until he realized she was just trying to stay warm.

“That’s strange,” Barry pondered, looking up at the sky. “The forecast wasn’t calling for it.”

As if on cue, a sprinkling of flurries floated down onto their noses.

Iris laughed. “Guess the forecast isn’t always right.”

They walked arm in arm back the way they came, as the falling snow dusted the campus in a white haze. As they arrived at the door to Barry’s room, he fumbled with his keys and jostled the lock to turn the bolt.

Iris tossed her jacket on a hook by the door and sighed. “I’m wiped,” she said.

“Me too,” Barry admitted. “I was up late last night studying.”

Iris looked at the bed, then back at Barry. “So… how do you want —“

“ — I’ll sleep on the floor,” Barry interrupted her.

“Are you sure?” She asked. “I don’t mind. I can sleep on the floor.”

Barry shook his head and waved a hand. “No it’s okay. I’ve got extra blankets.” He opened his closet and pulled out a comforter and a fleece throw. He arranged them carefully, spreading them out on the floor beside the bed.

“Thanks, Barry,” Iris said quietly. She unzipped her backpack, pulling out her pyjamas and a small toiletries kit. “Um — where’s the bathroom?”

“Oh, just down the hall, to your left.”

“K — be right back.”

Barry nodded as he fluffed a pillow and placed it at the head of the nest he was making. He heard the door close behind him, and the room turned deafeningly silent, save for his heart pounding resonantly like a tympani in his chest. He rubbed his ribs and murmured to himself. “Shhh, quiet, you.” He wished he didn’t know why his body was reacting this way.

Barry pulled his sweater up over his head, his jeans down his legs and laid his clothes over the back of his desk chair. He often slept in the buff, but erred to leave his t-shirt and boxers on before climbing under the comforter. He tried to find a soft spot on the hard floor of his room.

As he settled in, the door creaked open and Iris returned. Her hair was knotted in a bun at the top of her head, and she’d changed into her pyjamas. Barry gulped at the sight of her in little silk shorts and a tank top, then felt embarrassed for doing so. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen her in her PJs before, but it had been a while.

She tucked her toiletries into her backpack and flicked off the ceiling light before crawling over Barry’s bed. She disappeared briefly under the covers, tossed around, then reappeared with her face at the edge of the mattress, the duvet tucked just under her chin.

“Thanks for a great night tonight, Barry,” she smiled down at him.

Barry grinned and nodded back at her. “Of course, Iris. Anything for you.”

He switched off the bedside lamp, and the room faded to black.

 

* * *

 

The grey light of morning seeped in through Barry’s eyelids. He shivered and stirred, then rolled over and opened his eyes. Iris was sitting up in bed, staring out the window. Her face was unreadable. Her lips were curled up at the edges, but her eyes were pensive, almost sad. The silver light cast pale highlights on the sinews of her neck, and painted her expression in greyscale. Barry wished he could have taken a picture.

“Morning,” he croaked quietly.

“Good morning,” she hummed back, glancing at him.

He stretched his arms over his head, then wrestled the comforter back under his chin. “What time is it?”

“Almost eleven,” she said calmly, fixing her eyes back on the window.

“Eleven! Holy. I never sleep that late. How long have you been up?”

“About an hour.”

“You didn’t wake me?”

Iris shook her head slowly. “You looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Barry studied her for a minute. She seemed resistant to return his gaze, transfixed by something he couldn’t see from the floor.

“What’s happening out there?” He asked, sitting up and running his hands through his hair.

“It’s still snowing,” she said, her voice hushed and full of awe. She turned towards him and smiled brilliantly. “It’s beautiful.”

Barry crawled onto the bed beside her, and peered out of the glass pane. All of campus was covered in snow. Iris was right. It was beautiful. Magical, even. “Looks like Narnia,” he joked.

Iris laughed. “Oh, Barry.” She patted his hand with hers. He shivered at the contact, and lifted his fingers to catch hers instinctively. Her eyes found his for a moment, questioning him, then relaxing. She pressed her palm against his, and settled into his touch. “Do you remember the first Thanksgiving you came to live with us, Barry?”

Barry nodded. “How could I forget?” It wasn’t long after his mother was murdered. For months on end he had terrible nightmares. Night after night, he woke up yelling and screaming. Often he’d find Iris at the foot of his bed, eyes wide with concern and wanting to help.

“It snowed like this,” Iris whispered.

Barry rubbed his thumb absentmindedly over her fingers. He remembered it well. After another nightmare, he’d woke up crying. Iris had climbed into bed beside him and let him sob into her shoulder for hours as they watched the snow fall outside.

Iris turned her eyes to meet his. “It’s good to see you happy and at peace, Barry.”

He couldn’t hold her gaze. At peace was a strong term. “More than I was, anyway,” he murmured.

She nodded, knowing that his mother’s death would always be a part of him.

They sat in silence, watching the snow as it continued to fall. Noon approached, and Barry felt that the sun should have become brighter, but the sky grew ominous. The wind picked up, and the Narnian scene before them melted away as the snow turned to sleet.

Barry ran his hands through his hair. “I think I need a shower,” he said unceremoniously, as the scene lost its magic.

Iris laughed quietly. “Me too.”

For some reason, the timing of Iris’ words made Barry’s stomach leap. He looked at her in surprise.

“What?” She asked.

“Uhm, nothing. I’ll uh — I’ll go first.” He scooted to a stand, grabbed his towel and shower basket, then ducked out the door.

His heart drummed rhythmically in his chest as he bolted for the washroom. It was thankfully deserted, like the rest of the dorm. He crossed the tiled floors to the showers, chose a stall, and drew the curtain to the changing area behind him. With an effort to focus, he drew in a deep breath and tried to quell the feeling rising in the pit of his stomach. He hung his towel on the hook and rested his head for a second against the separator wall.

Unsteady, he undressed, shivering in the cold. The tap was stiff as he wrestled the water on and drew the second curtain behind him. A hot stream of water gushed down from the wall, soaking his hair against his scalp and warming his chilled skin. His mind stilled.

The feeling was short lived. Across the bathroom, he heard the door creak open, and the sound of flip flops echoing closer.

“Barry?” It was Iris. _Of course it’s Iris,_ he scolded himself. _Who else would it be? Everyone else is gone._

His voice cracked as he opened his mouth. “Yeah?”

“Just making sure it was you,” she responded.

“Are you — “ he couldn’t seem to finish his sentence.

“I needed a shower, too,” she answered, in a matter-of-fact tone. “You guys have co-ed bathrooms here. It’s not like we’ve never shared a bathroom before.”

She was right, of course, but they’d only ever brushed their teeth at the same time. Then again, Barry thought, it wasn’t like he hadn’t showered at the same time as other girls in the dorm. Why was this any different?

The sound of a second faucet reverberated in the stall beside him. Of the seven options, Iris had chosen the shower next to him.

His heart pounded with renewed vigour against his ribcage. His body was forcing him to finally acknowledge what it was he was feeling. Arousal.

There was no avoiding it now. His dick had gone rigid. He raised an arm over his head and leaned against the wall. “No…” he whispered quietly to himself.

“You okay?” Iris called over the partition.

“Yep,” he chirped back. “I’m good.”

“K, just checking.”

The small gap at the floor betrayed her wet, coral painted toes treading in circles in the next stall. He throbbed painfully at the sight. 

Beside him, Iris hummed a quiet melody. His mind wandered across the partition to join her. He imagined the water caressing her curves as she washed in the warm water. How would she look as she threw her head back to rinse her hair under the stream?

His daydream was interrupted as the stream of Iris’ shower ceased with a squeak. A shower curtain jingled as she pulled it back and gathered her things.

“Don’t stay in there too long,” she called in a sing-song voice as she departed.

“K,” he managed to exert.

The door to the washroom squealed and clacked, signalling her exit. Barry exhaled in relief and rested his back against the shower wall. The tiles were cool against his hot skin.

With a sigh, he gave into it, and quietly wrapped his hand around himself. The sensation was simultaneously indecent and gratifying. He tugged reticently, involuntarily, steadily. His lips parted in the warm water as he drew a quiet breath. He wished beyond anything that Iris would come back and join him happily, willingly, eagerly.

Taking advantage of his solitude, he worked himself steadily to a finish.

 

He returned to his room sheepishly. He’d realized as soon as he got out of the shower that he’d forgotten to bring a change of clothes with him. Despite the towel fixed securely around his waist, he felt naked as he reentered his room.

Iris was presently dressed in her sweatsuit and sitting on his bed. She looked up as he entered. Their eyes locked for a moment before she fluttered her eyelashes and looked away from him. Barry thought her expression might have been embarrassment.

He blushed and turned away from her, causing a few water droplets to fall from his hair to his chest. Did she know? Surely she couldn’t.

“I — uh — I’ll just grab some clothes and be right back,” he said bashfully as he went to his dresser drawer to grab a pair of boxers.

“It’s okay,” said Iris, closing her eyes and turning around. “I won’t look.”

Somehow, this disappointed Barry. He wished she would.

With an eye to Iris’ back, he dropped his towel and slipped on his underwear. Taking her dress code as his cue, he retrieved his sweatpants from the bottom drawer and pulled them up over his legs.

“You can look now,” he said, as he searched for a shirt.

Outside, the wind howled and rattled against the window.

“It got pretty ugly out there,” Iris commented, her eyes fixed on the window pane.

Barry shook his head. “The weather is so unpredictable these days.”

“Since it’s so gross out, I thought we could watch a show?” Iris suggested. Her voice was relaxed. The sound of it soothed his nerves.

“Read my mind,” smiled Barry as he pulled a sweater over his head. He grabbed his laptop and flopped down beside her.

They launched into a multi-episode marathon of The Walking Dead. Iris kept her hands over her eyes half of the time. For the rest of the time, she jumped and screamed, and gripped Barry’s arm so hard his hand went numb. He didn’t mind the excuse to touch.

“This is why I can’t watch this show without you,” she said, burying her face into his shoulder as a zombie noshed on its latest victim. “That is _so_ gross!”

Barry laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “It’s okay, it’s not real,” he said as he squeezed gently.

“I know it’s not,” she said, nuzzling her head against him, “But it still freaks me out.”

Barry waited for her to sit up again. She often nuzzled him like this during The Walking Dead, but she always pulled away. This time, she stayed. In fact, she adjusted her legs, splaying them out to the side, so that she could lean closer into him. “Can we watch something else, now?”

“Sure. Next Gen?” He proposed.

“You know that makes me fall asleep.”

Barry shrugged. “We’re on holiday. Is that a bad thing?”

Iris smiled and wrapped an arm around his stomach. Barry’s heart hammered in his chest. Surely she could hear how quickly it was beating. A sense of panic overtook him as he realized that his body would inevitably betray him.

“I guess not,” she replied.

He reached forward to change the show, trying not to disturb her. He didn’t want to force her to move.

A familiar theme song rang out as the show started. The sound was comforting to his inner geek, and he leaned back, relaxing into the wall. They watched quietly as Geordi LaForge and Data solved some impossible problem involving tachyon particles by inverting the deflector dish.

Iris kept her head resting on his chest as he slumped lazily against the bedroom wall. She kept her hand settled on his stomach, and Barry kept his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Their bodies were still, but his senses were in overdrive, hyperaware of the feeling of her next to him.

The first episode ended and the next began. Iris burrowed deeper into his chest. “Bear?” she asked softly.

“Yeah?”

“Your heart is beating really fast.”

The bottom dropped out of Barry’s stomach. The jig was up. He’d been found out. He waited for Iris to sit up and tear into him. But she didn’t. She stayed where she was.

“Yeah it is,” he whispered confessionally. He wasn’t sure what to do or say. He wished he could tell her how he felt about her, but the words were buried so deep he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to dig them out.

Iris stayed quiet. He could tell she was thinking.

“How come?” She asked after a minute. The arm she held around his waist squeezed him, as if she thought it might make him talk.

Conflict swirled inside of Barry. He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or throw up. The moment took eons to pass and he knew he had hesitated for too long. In the end, all he could think to do was rub his hand against her arm where it rested.

As if some divine force was trying to intervene, their show’s stream stalled. Iris raised her head, and touched the laptop’s trackpad, trying to start it again. “Huh,” she said quizzically, unable to get it to work.

The room seemed strangely quiet. With a hunch, Barry leaned towards the end of the bed and flicked the switch on the wall for the ceiling lamp. Nothing.

“The power is out,” he said, stating the now obvious.

Iris looked out the window. The winter wonderland they’d watched earlier was covered in a thick sheet of ice. “Wow. I didn’t realize just how bad it was out there.”

She turned back to face him, her torso leaning over him as he rested, still slumped against the wall. Her eyes studied him. For a split-second, Barry was sure she glanced at his lips.

“So what do you want to do now?” She asked, resting her head back on his chest and taking up her previous hold on him.

If his heart beat any faster, he thought his chest might explode. “Guess there’s not much to do.” He said, tentatively wrapping his arm back around her.

She shook her head. The motion served to burrow her forehead against his diaphragm. “Guess not,” she replied.

Barry concentrated on his fingers as they pressed gently on the soft fabric of her sweatshirt. He ached to touch the skin underneath, but kept still.

Sleet slopped in icy drops against the window, covering their view to the outside world in a sheen of grey-blue crystal. He listened to the screech and whistle of the gale force wind. Normally, weather like this made him feel sad, but there was no place in the world he would have rather been than sheltered from the storm alongside Iris.

Iris stirred and shivered. “Are you cold?” She asked.

Barry blinked at her as she sat up. How could he be cold? He felt like hot lava was coursing through his veins. “I’m okay,” he said truthfully.

“It feels chilly,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. Barry noticed her breath condense in a little cloud before her mouth as she spoke. _I guess it_ is _getting colder_ , he thought.

He reached for the radiator beneath the window and gripped one of the pipes. It was like ice. “I think the heat is out, too.”

Iris gave him a miserable look, like she might cry.

“Hey, don’t worry,” he said, reaching out a thumb to grip her chin. He lifted her face gently to meet his eyes. “I’m sure it will come back on soon.”

“I’m freezing,” she said.

Barry looked around the room. His nest from last night was still crumpled on the floor. “Here,” he said, as he reached down to scoop up the blankets.

Iris stood up from the bed and gave him room as he spread the extra comforter and blanket over the existing sheets. He peeled the covers back and motioned for Iris to get in. She smiled and sat down before swinging her legs up and under the covers.

Barry was about to wrap the blankets around her, when she grabbed his wrist and tugged gently. “You, too,” she said.

“Oh… I’m okay.” He said as the heat rose in flames to his cheeks. He didn’t know why he was refusing. For years he’d dreamed of little else but sharing a bed with Iris.

“I know you are, Barry, but I’m cold.”

He couldn’t argue. He got under the sheets beside her and pulled the covers up over their shoulders, as Iris turned to face the wall. On a normal day, there was hardly enough room for Barry in the twin size bed, let alone two people. What little room did exist was prime real-estate, so Iris pressed into him with her back. The only thing he could do was press back with his chest and clasp her hamstrings with his thighs. They settled, and Iris reached for his wrist, pulling his arm across her side and folding their hands under her stomach.

Barry struggled to breathe. _This is dangerous_ , he thought. Other parts of him were stirring, but he fought to keep control. He quietly thanked God that he’d released during his shower, or he wouldn’t have been able to control it.

His eyes were wide and studying her hairline. He was trying his best not to move lest he lose focus. “You okay?” He asked, exhaling against her neck.

Iris nodded. “Better,” she murmured.

He relaxed, leaning his head into the pillow and finding that the only comfortable place to rest was with his forehead against the nape of her neck. He watched her skin as the breath escaped his mouth. Tiny goosebumps formed and the little hairs stood on end. Barry shifted his hips, trying to hide the fact that he was delighted to have such an effect on her.

Content, he closed his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Barry must have drifted off to sleep. When he woke, the last of the day’s light was fading in a pinkish hue. He was lying on his back with his arm over his head. A weight was pressing gently over his stomach. He shifted, thinking nothing of it.

Then, Barry’s eyes snapped open. The weight was a person, he realized, and that person was Iris. Her head was stowed in the crook of his neck and her arm was wrapped around his stomach. Her _leg_ was hooked over his, their limbs entirely entangled.

She stirred, and looked up at him. “Hey,” she said groggily.

“Hey,” Barry replied, trying to be nonchalant. “You warmer now?”

She nodded. Her fingers were tracing the bottom hem of his sweater. “How is your speedy heart?” She asked, a sly smile on her face.

He didn’t know how to respond. Just as before, he felt like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She blinked slowly, still running her fingers against the edges of his sweater. Briefly, softly, she grazed a patch of exposed skin.

“Iris…” he whispered, drawing out her name in a warning.

“Barry, you were going to say something at the pub. Before the food came.”

Barry swallowed and nodded.

“What was it?”

He closed his eyes, unable to look her in the eye. “I was going to say that… I really miss you.”

For a moment, she didn’t respond. Then, deliberately, unmistakably, she slipped her hand under his shirt and pressed her palm against his warm skin. She brushed her thumb back and forth against the edge of his hip bone, giving Barry the shivers. “I miss you, too.” She whispered, almost inaudibly.

“Miss me… like… you miss the boy who grew up down the hall?”

Iris shook her head. “No Barry.” She shifted her weight over him. He was keenly aware that her pelvis was lined up with his. She lay on top of him, holding her face just above his. “Miss you, like, part of me is missing when you’re away.”

He reached up to touch her cheek. She turned into his touch, her breath and the edges of her lips grazing against his skin. It was almost like a kiss.

“Barry?” She asked, as if she already knew the answer. “Why is your heart beating so fast?”

He realized this was it. There would never be a better time. His fingers reached from her cheek around the back of her neck and threaded through her hair. He pulled her towards him and their lips met, purposely, firmly, consciously. They held still, until Barry coaxed her lips to part against his and their tongues melded.

The taste was sweet as they melted into one another. They played a steady game of catch and release, the soft skin of their mouths trembling against one another. Barry’s hands found the small of Iris’ back and he held her tightly.

His fingers searched for the space between her shirt and her waistband.

As he slipped a hand under the fabric, he was surprised to find nothing but skin beneath her sweatpants. This discovery made, he grasped greedily at her flesh. Iris’ hips tilted into him in response. The pressure against his groin made him hard, and he opened his mouth in a soft moan.

“Iris...” he whispered, as his conscience tapped him on the shoulder. “What are we doing?” He felt half drunk.

”What do you mean?” She asked, pulling her lips away from his to look into his eyes.

“I mean... what are you thinking? Is this what you want?”

Iris grinned and bit her lip. “I thought it would be pretty clear by now, Barry. Yes, this is what I want.”

“This? With me?”

“Well, not _just_ this,” she smirked and kissed him, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth with teasing nibble.

He choked at her bite, needing little other encouragement. He shifted his hips and dragged a knee up between her legs to catch the heat of her against him. Her sweater was soft against his hands, but its presence infuriated him. He pulled it up over her rib cage, grazing the soft edges of her breasts, then dragging the garment over her head as she raised her arms.

Exposed to the cold air of the bedroom, her nipples grew taut. The sight was better than anything Barry could have imagined. He stared, unmoving for a moment. “God, Iris, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

She smiled shyly, almost blushing.

He was utterly hypnotized by her flawless breasts. As if drawn by magnets, his hands reached out to hold them. He discovered that they fit perfectly in his palms. Regaining his senses, he tweaked a nipple between his right forefinger and thumb, causing Iris to let out a quiet gasp and buck her hips into him.

He watched in awe as she writhed at his touch. So often, he’d fantasized about what he would do if he ever had a half-naked Iris in his bed. He could hardly be sure that he was awake, given how well everything was going. But as Iris removed his sweater, and lay her chest down against him, he knew that the feel of her skin on his was too real to be a dream.

They ground together in a steady rhythm. Barry felt the growing heat of her core as Iris rolled her hips against his upper thigh. She panted into his neck with soft moans that made him rigid. He raised his leg further still, forcing Iris up with it, until her breasts were within reach of his mouth. He sucked a hardened nipple between his lips, nipping with his teeth, then smoothing it over with his tongue. Iris gasped, clearly louder than she meant to. Barry smiled, and pulled at the waistband of her pants. He wasn’t taking them off just yet, but perhaps he was threatening.

“Barry, please,” Iris whimpered as she brought her mouth down to his.

“Please what?” He grinned slyly, emboldened by her response.

“If we don’t slow down, I’m not going to last much longer,” she whispered urgently. But instead of convincing Barry to curb their activities, this only encouraged him. He pressed his mouth against hers and grabbed her hips with reassuring movements.

“I don’t want you to last,” he revealed in a low, husky voice. “Iris, I want to make you come.”

Iris gave a little cry. Her brows knitted as her pleasure increased.

“I’ve wanted to make you come for so long,” Barry confessed. Iris mewled as she listened to his admissions. “Iris… I lo — oh Jesus.”

She’d reached a hand beneath his sweatpants and gripped his rod in her palm. “I want to make you come, too,” she said in his ear. She hovered her fingers lightly over the skin of his length, then tugged firmly but gently at him. He choked and a deep throated groan escaped his lips.

Iris’ hips began to convulse in a jagged cadence. Her thighs clamped against his leg. Her body locked and trembled as she moaned against his neck. An orgasm throbbed through her body, pulsing so hard that Barry could feel her blood pumping against his leg. The room might have been freezing, but the heat between them was sweltering.

Iris stilled, her grip on him slackening as she relaxed, exhausted.

He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her temple. Tiny beads of sweat dotted her hairline. She rested, calm and motionless, a hint of a smile curled on the edges of her lips. Barry craned his neck to kiss her, then rested his head back on the pillow, breathing deeply.

He reviewed the last few minutes in his mind. He wondered what his past self would think if his present self told him what had transpired. He never would have believed that Iris was going to visit him for Thanksgiving, and he would rock her until she came. He laughed quietly.

“What’s funny?” Iris asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing, I — I’m just, really happy.”

Iris nodded and smiled back, reaching up to touch his cheek. She traced her fingers down his neck, and across his collarbone. Barry’s hands were trembling, still pent up from their escapade.

“Where did we leave off?” Iris asked, sitting up. She drew her hand down his chest, grazing his pecs and his abs, tracing the v of his hips at his waist. Barry gulped as she hooked her fingers under his pants.

“Iris, you don’t have to — we don’t have to rush.”

Iris shushed him by pressing a finger to his lips and whispered, “I want to.” He nodded in reply. Her eyes searched his as she pulled his pants and underwear down over his legs and released his cock. Barry felt himself blush as Iris looked over his naked body.

“Barry Allen,” she said, almost scolding him. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

A proud lion roared in his chest, while his cheeks burned in humility.

Iris moved to sit on her knees between his legs. She wrapped her fingers around him and skimmed up and down ever so lightly. His eyes rolled back into his head as he concentrated on the feeling. Responding to his enjoyment, she gripped him more firmly.

“Iris…” he drew out her name like it was something to be savoured.

He felt her hold him at his base while something hot and moist enveloped his tip. His eyes fluttered open to find that Iris had taken him in her mouth. His heart almost stopped at the vision before him. His pulse raced as he watched her head nod over him, while her back and butt arched up into the air. This scene had featured in more than one of Barry’s fantasies. He couldn’t believe it was really happening.

“Oh my God…” he gasped as he watched her slide her lips down his shaft. She drew her tongue along the large vein as she drew back, and flicked it over the tip in a hot, lush movement. His hips convulsed in an automatic reply as her lips continued to slide back and forth over him. The pressure in his head increased as she sucked and quivered her tongue against him. She bobbed in steady movements until Barry wasn’t sure he could bear it anymore.

He tapped her head gently, but Iris ignored him and continued her motions.

“I — Iris,” he stammered. “I’m getting close.”

She made no indication that she’d heard him and continued on.

“Iris — “ he repeated, “I’m going to —“ But before he could finish his sentence, he felt the pressure in his head mount and erupt as hot streams throbbed out of him and into her mouth. “Oh my God,” he whispered as his body convulsed and pulsed.

When he was done, Iris sat up and wiped the edges of her mouth. Barry sat up, too and reached for her, pressing his forehead against hers and kissing her mouth. “I — I’m sorry,” he said as he gripped her face, with shaking hands. “I didn’t mean to it just — it felt so good.” He kissed her repeatedly, as if trying to atone for his release.

Iris laughed and shook her head. “You don’t have to apologize, Barry. I said I wanted to.” She paused and lowered her voice in a dangerous rasp. “I wanted you to come.” She traced a finger up his thigh to his hip.

Barry’s dick twitched at her words, despite being spent. He reached for her hips and pulled her forward to straddle him, wrapping his arms around her back and holding her tight. He pressed his forehead into her neck and continued to kiss her jugular and jawbone. She nuzzled him in response as they basked in the afterglow.

Barry closed his eyes against the warmth of her neck. He’d never felt so relaxed. And yet, it wasn’t long before his mind started racing. What was Iris thinking? Feeling? Was this real or just a heat of the moment thing? Barry wasn’t sure he could bear it if Iris still just wanted to be friends after all of this. His heart was pounding again, but it wasn’t in excitement this time. It was in fear.

Then, everything became all together too bright. Barry squinted stupidly, trying to figure it out, until he realized that the electricity was back on.

“Would you look at that,” Iris mused, looking around the room. “There’s so many sparks between us we brought the power back on.”

Barry chuckled, “Isn’t it my job to make the lame jokes?”

Iris giggled, but her laughter was interrupted by the sound of Barry’s stomach growling loudly.

“I guess we haven’t eaten anything today,” she said, looking down at him.

“Yeah, I guess not,” he replied.

“Do you think we can find some food?”

Barry thought about it for a minute. “We could try the cafeteria,” he suggested.

Iris hopped off of his lap and grabbed her sweater before pulling it over her head. She grabbed Barry’s clothes and threw them at him.

“Well what are we waiting for? I’m starving.”


	2. Something More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will AU Barry and Iris reconcile the new physical aspect of their relationship?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for your kind comments and kudos! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

It turned out that there were still a few students left on campus. A sparse number sat at awkward distances, spread out around the dining tables of the cafeteria. Barry didn’t know any of the other students present. He was secretly glad not to run into someone he knew, and have to explain why he couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off of his face.

The staff had put out all the food that they didn’t want to go to waste while the power was still out. This included a number of tubs of ice cream, which Barry and Iris helped themselves to liberally following their main course. They chowed down like a couple of kids who had gotten into the freezer while their parents weren’t looking.

“Mmm,” Iris professed, putting another spoonful of vanilla to her lips. “This is really hitting the spot right now. I mean, it’s no mint chocolate chip, but…”

Barry laughed, taking a bite of chocolate from his bowl.

“What I don’t understand is,” Iris began pensively, before another bite. “If the power was out, and they were worried about this melting, why didn’t they just put the tubs outside? I mean, it’s below freezing out there.”

Barry didn’t respond right away. He was distracted, transfixed by the sight of Iris licking another spoonful of vanilla. It distinctly reminded him of something that had happened in the not too distant past.

“Hello… Barry… Earth to Barry,” she waved her hand in front of him, as she licked a drop from the side of her mouth.

Getting no response, she kicked him under the table.

“Wha — hey! Ow…” he reached down to rub his shin. “Oh, I guess maybe… health and safety regulations?” He suggested, before rattling on automatically. “Outside is an uncontrolled environment. There’s no safeguards against unforeseen temperature fluctuations.”

“Mhmm,” Iris responded saucily, unconvinced. Then after a minute she asked him, “Where are you at, daydreamer?”

Barry breathed deeply and studied her, wondering how best to say it. There was a sinking part of him that felt like now that they were out in the real world, things were back to normal between them. It certainly felt like it, the way Iris was joking and teasing him throughout their meal.

“I think — I think I’m still back in my dorm room,” he admitted, blushing furiously. It was hard to say, and yet, it felt good to tell Iris what he was really thinking for once.

Iris paused and put her spoon down. She laid her arms neatly at the edge of the table and leaned forward with an empathetic look on her face. “Barry… It’s okay, you don’t have to worry,” she said, reading him correctly.

He made a motion to reach across the table. He just wanted to hold her hand. But then he thought she seemed to draw back, and he second guessed himself.

“Nothing is going to change between us,” she said.

His heart sank like a lead zeppelin. All of the air was suddenly sucked out of his lungs. He’d just lived some of his wildest fantasies, and now as penance he was going to have to endure his worst nightmare. 

He stared at his half-eaten ice cream bowl, feeling sick to his stomach. A prickling sensation dotted the corners of his eyes where hot tears were starting to well. “That’s the thing, Iris,” he said. “I want things to change.”

He blinked furiously, trying to stop the tears from coming, but he couldn’t. He didn’t want Iris to see him cry, not now. Embarrassed, he grabbed his tray and headed for the metal racks to put it away.

“Barry!” Iris called after him. “Barry… wait!”

He could hear her behind him as she clamoured to put her own tray away. Her footsteps echoed against the tile, keeping pace with his escape. 

He ejected himself out of the cafeteria door into the cold air, which stung against the saline trailing down his cheeks. Half blind, he slipped and stumbled over the ice-coated ground, ungracefully fumbling back to the front door of his dormitory.

He knew Iris wasn’t far behind him as he entered the lobby and called for the elevator, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn to face her.

“Barry, wait!” She called again, throwing her arm in the closing elevator doors. The panels halted and retreated, and she followed him into the car. “I didn’t mean it like that,” she said, trying to sooth him. 

A rock had formed in his throat, and he couldn’t get any words out in reply. They rode in silence until the lift chimed and the doors opened on his floor.

He searched in his pocket for his keys as they walked down the hallway. Iris trailed tentatively behind him, trying to give him a little bit of space. He unlocked the door and stumbled over the threshold. 

“Barry, I’m sorry,” Iris said as she closed the door behind her. “I didn’t mean it like that. Really, I didn’t.”

Wiping the tears away from his eyes, Barry felt a strong and strange sensation rising in his chest. It was something like courage, but also desperation. He approached her and took her hands, towering lankily over her.

“Iris…” he began slowly, swallowing and looking down at their hands. “I love you.”

Hesitantly, he looked back up at her. Her expression was unreadable.

“We we were kids, I loved you before I even knew what the word love meant. Then my mom died, and I had to go live with the girl that I had a crush on. There were so many times that I wanted to tell you…”

“Barry,” Iris whispered.

“Junior Prom, when I left for college… all the Christmases, all the birthdays…”

“Barry.” She reached a hand up to touch his face.

“I never did. I just… kept it in.”

She was holding both cheeks now, but he was still unrelieved. He rambled on, saying that after he lost his mother and his father, he couldn’t bear to lose her, too. 

“Barry, I know… I know.” She said, finally, resting her forehead against his. “I think… I’ve always known. And ever since we went away to college, I have _not_ been able to stop thinking about you.”

The rock in his throat softened as her words finally started to sink in. He smiled, trying to understand what she was telling him. He prayed he was getting it right.

“I’ve never stopped thinking about you,” he replied.

Iris’ eyes were glistening now, too, and she smiled at him through jagged breaths. “What I meant back there was that we can still be best friends, as well as something more.”

“Something more?” He inquired hesitantly, but hopeful.

She nodded. “Yeah, Barry.”

She smiled, and glanced at his lips. He reached out to hold her face and pulled her in, touching his lips to hers. Their mouths grazed together delicately, until Barry found her tongue and pulled her closer. His head was spinning. The scent of her was sweet, soft and tantalizing.

Her hands were trailing up his back, causing a new sense of urgency between them. He found the bottom of her sweater and pulled it up over her head in a swift movement, discarding it unceremoniously on the floor. She shivered in the still-cool air of his room, but he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close.

She returned the favour and removed his shirt, pressing the skin of their upper bodies together. The sensation was heavenly. Barry knew he would never get over how amazing it felt. 

“Iris…” he whispered in a gravelly tone between kisses, as he traced the muscles of her neck with his fingers.

“Mhmm?” She hummed just audibly.

He paused to touch their foreheads together, until he could find his voice again. It came out trembling, all bass and husk. “I want to love you.”

She pulled back to find his eyes, searching him for a minute, wanting to be sure she understood.

“All of you,” he added for certainty.

Iris bit her lip and nodded, a definite twinkle in her eye. “I want that, too,” she whispered.

Barry kissed her happily, and hooked his thumbs under her waistband, peeling her sweatpants off of her hips. He trailed kisses down her neck, between her breasts and over her stomach as he knelt to finish removing the pants from her delicate ankles. His breath hitched in his throat at his first sight of her completely naked. Her skin was warm and rich, her body lean and firm.

“I must be dreaming,” he breathed, almost involuntarily, as he stood again to kiss her.

She smiled and giggled, “I can guarantee you are very much awake.”

He grinned as he stepped forward, guiding her to sit back onto the bed. He leaned over her as she rested, but didn’t join her. Instead, he kneeled on the floor at her feet and pressed warm kisses against her stomach. He parted her knees with a gentle motion of his hand, before caressing up her thighs, around her hips and resting his fingers against the small of her back. Carefully, he placed tender kisses on the inside of her knee and the soft skin of her inner thigh, inching his way to her tenderest spot.

He kissed her outer lips, first the left and then the right. Then he hooked his arms under her legs and gripped her upper thighs, pulling her pelvis closer to the edge of the bed and forcing her legs further apart. Before him, her folds parted, revealing the tender flesh of her centre. Iris shifted her hips in anticipation as he kissed her mound, and gently slipped his tongue between her part. He caught her clit with the tip of his tongue and flicked upward. Her breath quickened at the sensation as she watched.

Her scent was fragrant, sweet and vaguely spicy. Barry found it totally intoxicating as he lapped at her nub and stroked her inner folds with his tongue. He worshiped her with his actions, just as he did with his heart. She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged gently whenever he caught a particularly sensitive spot. 

He licked, kissed, sucked and nibbled at her until she was squirming beneath him, and uttering quiet sighs. “Barry…” she moaned, making his dick hard.

 _Oh God,_ he thought to himself. Since he’d learned what sex was, he’d dreamed of making Iris moan his name. It was just as erotic in real life as it had been in his fantasies. He was so turned on.

His hands released her thighs. With his left, he reached under his waistband to grip his throbbing rod, and with his right he pressed his thumb against the crux of her thigh and hip, massaging the skin just outside of her lips.

“Uhn,” she gasped in a guttural tone at his touch.

She tossed her head back as he continued to trace circles with his thumb, inching closer, past her outer folds to the inner ones, stroking lightly and gently, interspersing the pressure from his hand with licks and kisses. Finally, his thumb found her clit. She twitched violently, and he could feel the beat of her heart under her button as he rubbed it gently.

His tongue circled her opening, and she gave a little cry, “Barry, please.”

He was starting to love the sound of her begging. He stroked himself a little faster, moaning back into her snatch.

“I need you,” she whispered, her hips quivering and her fingers tugging at his hair, trying to bring him up to her.

“Not yet,” he replied, staying where he was and planting another kiss on her.

Still, he didn’t want to leave her unsatisfied. He plunged his tongue into her opening, taking care to make sure that she was good and wet. She writhed beneath him as he pressed into her.

Iris let out little “Oh”s as he flicked his tongue inside her. She’d given up on propping herself up, and was now resting flat on her back, her mouth half open. Barry found himself even more agitated as he caught sight of her breasts, heaving as she sighed. The tip of his cock was oozing pre-cum in his hand.

He wanted to make sure she was as turned on as he was. He took his thumb away from her clit and stiffened his index and middle finger, before pressing them into her core.

A string of vowels issued forth from Iris’ mouth, as she convulsed forward, sitting up again. “Oh my God, Barry,” she hissed.

He smiled triumphantly, knowing he’d done the right thing. He let go of himself and reached his hand up to her face to touch her cheek, then leaned forward to kiss her lips.

He lay down beside her as he continued to push and pull, slowly and steadily with his fingers. He could feel her heat rising and her wetness growing. Her mouth seemed unable to close, and he took full advantage, kissing her in sloppy, open mouthed kisses.

“Barry, please,” she pleaded with him again.

“Please, what?” He teased, feeling like he could get used to this game. 

“Please, if you keep going like that I’m going to come.”

The lion was growling in Barry’s chest again. He touched his forehead to hers and thrust his fingers a little harder this time. Iris’s face contorted in a silent cry. Barry could feel her inner muscles starting to contract around his fingers. 

“Yes, Iris.”

She nodded fervently and bit her lip. “Uh hum,” she uttered, over and over again.

Barry kept his movements steady and strong, until finally, he felt Iris throb around him. For a moment, he felt as if his fingers were pressed against a beating heart. She gripped his shoulders with her hands and threw her leg over his hip as she pooled into his hand.

Eventually, her grip on him slackened, and he pulled away from her. He lay back, pulling Iris’ thigh all the way over him so that she lay on top of him.

She rested her head on his chest, catching her breath. When she regained some strength, she kissed him and sat up. “What are these still doing here?” She asked, looking slightly bewildered at his pants.

“You never took them off,” he joked.

“Well, we’ll have to remedy that,” she responded, scrambling nimbly to her feet and pulling them down over his legs.

 He grabbed her hands and pulled her back over his hips, but Iris shook her head and rolled off of him to his side. She lay down on her back, knees raised.

“Come here,” she instructed.

Barry obeyed, settling on his knees before her. Now that he was here, he was hesitating.

“Hey,” she said, looking up at him, reading his face like a book. “Where’s that confident, sexy guy from a moment ago?”

“Um, he’s just trying to remember where he put the condoms from his frosh kit.”

Iris laughed a great big belly laugh. “Oh Barry.”

She propped herself up on an elbow, and reached forward to pull him into a kiss. “I think you’re the only guy I know who would misplace his condom stash.”

Barry’s heart was sinking. This was his opportunity to finally consummate his love with Iris and now he wasn’t sure where he’d put his condoms.

“But, as it happens, we don’t necessarily need one…” Iris ventured.

Barry looked at Iris in shock. A quiet “Wha —?” escaped his lips.

“I — um — I have an IUD.”

“Oh,” he breathed, still not sure.

“Well, I’m healthy and unless you’ve been womanizing since you arrived at college, I’d hazard a guess that you are, too.”

“Oh, yeah — I mean no, of course not. I’m healthy, too. Um, have you… done it like this before?” He asked curiously.

“Without a condom?” Iris asked.

“Yeah.” 

She shook her head. “No, never. You?”

He blushed and shook his head. He and Iris previously had an unspoken agreement never to talk about their sex lives. They’d briefly talked about dating, sure, but never about… that. It felt both strange and wonderful to be violating their covenant. “Then, how come — I mean, why now?“

“It’s you, Barry.” Iris said tenderly, her words thick with implications beyond their face value.

The proud lion was back, and he was giving a thundering roar, up on his hind legs and pawing at the air.

She reached forward and grabbed his cock, wresting her wrist back and forth until he was ready again. “I want to feel you,” she whispered in a low voice, “Skin to skin, just you and me.”

“You and me,” Barry whispered back, completely hypnotized and lost in arousal.

She pulled him into position at her entrance, then caught his eyes with hers. He studied her, searching for any sign of hesitation. She nodded in encouragement, and he plunged forward into her tight, hot centre.

The feeling was ecstasy. Barry couldn’t help it, he let out a groan as he laid himself down over the woman he loved more than anything in the world. “God, Iris… you feel amazing.”

He kissed her parted lips and they slowly started to rock.

Barry was totally lost in the feel of her. She was hot and wet, and the friction was delicious. He kissed her deeply, fervently, drinking her in as he pushed and pulled in an agonizingly slow pace.

He slipped one hand under her bum, pulling a cheek towards him as they ground together. With the other, he reached up to touch one of her breasts. The nipple hardened against his touch, and he took this as an excuse to pinch.

Iris pressed a hand against his back, and traced the other up his neck and into his hair. The nerve endings in his scalp crackled with electricity, and he gasped open mouthed against her lips.

He shifted his hips, seeking more contact between them, finding a spot that made them both moan. He pulled his knees up under her, coaxing her hips to tilt into him as he thrust, still slow and still steady.

Her fingers curled into the skin of his back. In other circumstances, it might have hurt, but he was too far gone to notice. She slid a hand down to his butt and pressed into his cheek. “Yes, Barry. Right there.”

His cock was impossibly hard, and he was finding it difficult to maintain a steady pace. The only sounds either of them could utter at this point were incoherent syllables.

Barry closed his eyes, enveloped by the feel of her body responding to him. A white hot light burned against the back of his lids until he felt like he’d left his body and found nirvana. Iris’ moans were the only sound in the universe, and he could not get enough.

Her body jerked beneath him. “B-Barry,” she gasped as her arms wrapped tightly around his back. A tear was escaping from the corner of her eyes. She opened her mouth a few times, wanting to say something, trying to find the words until finally she whispered, “I l— I love you.” She quivered and convulsed, her third and biggest orgasm of the day rippling through her body in powerful waves.

Her declaration sent him tumbling over the edge, and he followed her not long after, unaware of how loud he was moaning into her neck as his cock spasmed and emptied.

He relaxed on top of her, kissing her softly in quiet gratitude for all that they had shared. “I love you, Iris,” he said, tracing his fingers against her cheek, holding her face and kissing her again.

She nodded and pursed her lips before kissing him back. “I love you, too,” she answered. This time, it was on purpose, not just as a result of the throes of passion.

After a few minutes of nuzzling and kissing, she whispered, “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” he replied with another kiss. He just couldn’t stop kissing her.

“When we were in the showers earlier…”

Barry’s stomach dropped.

“… Were you… were you touching yourself?”

He gulped. “Iris — I — I’m sorry, I — “

Iris laughed, which caught him completely off guard. “Barry, why do you think I went in there after you?”

Barry made a strange noise that sounded a little like, “Huh?”

“... And chose the shower next to you?”

He stared at her totally bewildered.

“I — I don’t know.” He admitted, truthfully. 

“Because,” she hissed, reaching forward with her lips to suck on his neck. “I was trying to turn you on.”

He closed his eyes as she continued to suck at his pressure point. “So... you... wanted me to?” He needed to clarify.

She nodded into his neck.

“But — how did you know?”

Iris laughed again, continuing to surprise him.

“Barry, my bedroom is next to the bathroom at home. You think I don’t know what you sound like when you’re doing that? I kinda figured it out after a while.”

“Oh... ” His cheeks and ears went a deep shade of magenta as he wondered what she’d overheard.

“And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t turned me on when I figured it out,” she confessed.

A deep noise came from Barry’s throat. “Oh my God, Iris, you are actually going to kill me,” he rasped, burying his face in his pillow.

She laughed again, clearly taking pleasure in his torment. “And speaking of showers,” she continued, looking down at her body, “I’m pretty sure I’m going to need another one.”

“Okay,” he replied dreamily, lost in thought and unmoving while she sat up and found her towel.

“Aren’t you coming, Bear?” She asked as she headed for the door.

“Do you want me to?”

Iris gave him a seductive look. “I thought it would be nice...” 

He didn't need to be asked a second time.


	3. Joe Calls

By night, Barry was sleeping better than he had in years. In his tiny single bed, he and Iris made two perfect spoons. He wrapped her tightly with his body, until the arm under his head fell asleep and they inverted the roles of big and little spoon.

On Sunday morning he woke gently, finding himself on his back. Iris was curled over him, her head nestled on his chest, her face calm and relaxed as she slept peacefully. Barry lay still, savouring the moment, not wanting to wake her. He reflected on the weekend as he gently held her warm skin against his. This, right here, was everything he’d ever wanted.

For a minute he thought back to the start of the school year. Going away to college had been a big transition. He was excited to meet new like-minded people, but leaving Joe and especially Iris had been hard. Barry was so used to having her around all the time.

Iris moved out a couple of days before he did. Joe was going to drive her down to National U and help her get settled.

Barry remembered her suitcases and boxes scattered by the front door. By the sheer number of personal effects Iris had packed, Barry had this sinking feeling like she was never coming home again. Like they would never live together again.

He knew Joe was dealing with his own emotions about the situation. He kept muttering things like, “I can’t believe it’s already time for my baby girl to go away to college.”

Yet, Joe seemed to channel his disbelief and energy into business mode. He packed the car with startling efficiency, directing Barry with gruff orders in his policeman voice. When the car was full, Barry stood sullenly on the driveway, while Iris gathered her keys, wallet, phone and purse from the house.

She was smiling, clearly excited to be starting this new adventure. Barry watched her longingly. Her cheerful demeanour, combined with the hue of late summer sun gave her the appearance of being filled with light.

He remembered the sensation of a rock in his throat, and that his stomach seemed to have disappeared. He struggled in that moment. The most important woman in his world was going away. His chest tightened and his hands went numb.

He also remembered Iris’ smile fading when she caught sight of him. He must have been so transparent. He wanted to be happy for her, for both of them. But it was hard.

She approached him wordlessly and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly. More tightly than he’d ever dared to touch her in front of Joe.

“Wish you were coming, too, Bear,” she’d said quietly into his ear. 

Words eluded him. All he could do was nod into her shoulder.

As she pulled away, he trailed his hands down her arm, catching her fingers for a moment before their bodies separated completely.

Now, in the present, she was here in his arms, breathing, sighing, stirring. He squeezed her gently, wanting to make sure this was all still real — that it hadn’t been some drawn out dream.

Without opening her eyes, her fingers trailed up to his neck and stroked the muscle leading down from his ear.

“Morning,” he whispered.

“Morning,” she replied, as she moved to rest her face in the crook of his neck.

He felt a warm pressure against his collarbone as she planted a few drawn out kisses on his skin.

“You sleep okay?” He asked. 

“Mhmm,” she hummed, kissing below his earlobe, while still stroking the other side of his neck with her hand.

“That’s — good,” he breathed as she distracted him. His eyes rolled back into his head at the sensation.

“I was dreaming about you,” she said between kisses, in a quiet, mischievous tone.

“Oh yeah?” He grinned. “What were we doing?” 

Iris giggled and shifted her weight on top of him, straddling his leg and finding his mouth with her own.

“I could show you,” she tantalized.

“Oh,” Barry uttered as she continued to kiss him. It took a moment for his brain to catch up. So, it was _that_ sort of dream. Iris was having sexy dreams. Sexy dreams about him — Barry. His heart fluttered excitedly in his chest.

And suddenly, he realized Iris wasn’t just kissing him, she was pressing into him with her whole body. She was fully awake, and she was ready to go.

Barry’s blood hurtled southwards. Instinctively, he clutched at her hips, her skin hot beneath his touch. She was already rolling into him, her pussy wet against his thigh. Normally, he’d want to take his time, build her up, honour her. But she was already there. He bucked his hips in a decisive movement and caught her leg with his hand, pulling her thigh all the way across his hip, so that she sat astride him.

“How did _you_ sleep?” She teased, grinning down at him. 

“Real good,” he replied in a gravely tone. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was answering her question or commenting on the situation at hand.

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him again, her pelvis grinding against his as she did.

Barry’s hands trailed along the back of her thighs as they kissed, gently encouraging her. She tilted her hips forward then reclined, repeating in steady movements, rocking over his hardened length.

As she pressed forward again, he felt the skin of her folds part over him. The head of his cock rubbed against her clit. Iris’ breath hitched in her throat, but she didn’t advance further. Instead, she teased him, worrying his tip in her folds. 

Barry felt like he was on fire. He could feel how close they were and he was desperate for her. “Iris...” he rasped between kisses.

She pulled back to look at him. Her mouth was swollen and parted, an escaping breath heavy on her lips.

“Please.” It was his turn to plead. “Can I… ?”

An impish glint sparkled in her eyes. She held his gaze but didn’t confirm, still rocking over him, driving him to the edge. She gasped as the friction between them intensified. “Yes,” she replied finally, as she sat up over him.

He grasped her hips, found her entrance with his cock, and pulled her down over him until he was entirely enveloped in her heat. Iris let out a little cry as he did, and for a moment she went pliant. Barry steadied her with his hands, ready to take the reins, but just when he thought he should, Iris pressed her palms down on his chest, pinning his shoulders to the mattress.

Her movements were authoritative as she ground down on him in slow, fluid movements. He followed her rhythm, mesmerized.

The view from Barry’s perspective was ideal. He drank in the look of sheer pleasure on her face. Her pert breasts were growing taut, and calling out for his hands. He obliged as he watched her pull back and retake him over, and over again.

He needed to feel more of her skin against his. He sat up, wrapping a hand around her back, and pulling her into his chest. He reached his chin up to kiss her slowly and deliberately, while he traced his fingers up her neck and into her hair. With the other hand, he teased a nipple, and it pebbled at his touch. He wanted so badly to make her feel good.

Suddenly, a loud buzzing echoed from Barry’s desk. Barry turned his head to see Iris’ phone skidding across the surface. He could just make out Joe’s picture on the call screen.

“Ignore it,” Iris commanded, grabbing his chin and turning his head back towards her before taking his mouth in hers again.

Barry was distracted.

“— But — Joe —“

“Barry,” Iris replied. “Right now it’s just you and me.”

She kissed him purposefully, and he swiftly forgot about the phone. She was riding him hard and it was impossible to think straight. His mind was clearing, focused only on the sensation of Iris’ heat on him. Pressure was building in the tip of his cock.

She pushed him back down on the bed and lay herself over him as she continued steadily. They clutched at each other, willing their bodies to meld. She slowed, finding a place with particular friction. Barry could feel it, too. This was the spot that was going to send them both over the edge.

“Oh — feels good,” Iris whispered in his ear. 

“Yeah,” he breathed back. “Just like that.”

Gentle oh’s escaped Iris lips, caressing his ear. He couldn’t help it, he needed to go faster.

“Yes, Iris,” he whispered as he intensified their movements.

She cried out as her muscles seized and throbbed. She clutched him closely as she convulsed. Then, slowly, she relaxed. Barry held her tightly. He was impossibly hard, and knew that he was close, too. He pulled her into him further still, increasing his tempo, wanting to have all of her. His whole body felt like he was on fire. Then, suddenly, he was over the edge and spilling into her, while deep throated moans escaped his mouth.

Iris rolled off of him and lay beside him, still panting. “I think we’re getting the hang of this more than best friends thing,” she sighed happily.

Barry was quiet.

“Don’t you think so?” She asked, propping herself up on an elbow an looking over at him.

“I’m a dead man.” He said solemnly.

“What? What do you mean?”

“Joe.” Barry replied, as if it explained everything. “He’s going to kill me.”

“He is _not_ going to kill you. I won’t let him.”

“Okay, well then I hope you enjoyed the sex because castration is also a serious possibility.”

As he finished his sentence, a jangling melody rang out from his bedside table. This time it was his phone. He reached over to grab it, but instead fell out of the bed and onto the floor. He clumsily picked himself up and reached for the device. Sure enough, it was Joe.

All of the blood drained from Barry’s face as he showed Iris.

Her face was pensive.

Barry was compelled to answer it. If he didn’t, Joe would definitely know something was up. “Hello?” He tried to keep his voice level. He failed.

“Hey Bear,” Joe answered. “How’s it going?”

“Oh hey Joe, uh it’s good, everything is good.”

“Are you and Iris having fun?”

Barry looked at Iris. She was watching him intently, trying to listen to what her dad was saying on the other end of the line.

Barry considered the question and smiled. “Yeah, we’re having a great time,” he answered warmly.

Iris smiled back reassuringly.

“You sure? You sound strange,” Joe commented.

“I do?” Barry’s voice came out an octave higher than usual. “Oh — uh — maybe because I — uh, I just woke up.”

“It’s 11:30. You never sleep this late.”

“Yeah… well… we were up late —“

Iris started to shake her head

“— up late… d-drinking last night,” Barry concluded with the first thing that popped into his mind.

Iris waved her hands in slight panic.

 _Too late_ , Barry thought.

“Drinking?” Joe asked.

“Yeah,” Barry tried to sound relaxed, but suspected he was failing miserably. “You know… at the student pub.”

“Your student pub is serving the underage?” This was quickly becoming an interrogation.

“No — I mean, well they didn’t know we were underage.”

Iris slapped her hand to her forehead.

“Uh huh,” Joe grunted flatly. “Barry, you do remember I’m a cop, right?”

“Yeah, of course. Just wanted to be totally open and honest with you Joe. You know, as a son, not as a criminal.” Barry’s voice was trailing up at the end of his sentences. 

“Oh — Kay,” Joe replied slowly. There was a pause while he was silent on the other end of the phone. Then, after a minute he said, “Can I speak to my daughter please?”

Barry pulled the phone away from his ear and handed it to Iris.

“Hey Dad,” she said calmly, as she put the phone to her ear.

Barry could just make out Joe’s voice on the other end. “Hey baby girl. Everything okay with you guys? Are you having a good time?”

“Hey Dad. Yeah, we’re good, I’m having a great time. It’s nice to see Barry. It would be better if we were all together, though.”

Barry admired how calm and collected she was, and how she knew exactly what to say to her dad.

“So, what have you two been up to?” Joe asked.

Iris paused, and glanced at Barry. “Well, we’ve had a lot of catching up to do,” she said honestly. “And the storm kind of threw a wrench in any potential plans, so we’ve just been laying low, watching Netflix and stuff.”

“Right. The ‘and stuff’ of that sentence being ... drinking at the pub?”

“Da-ad,” she groaned impatiently, playing into Barry’s fib. “Come on we’re in college. There is bound to be beer around sometimes. Besides, I’m with my best friend in the whole world, who’d look out for me no matter what. What could go wrong?”

 _Boyfriend,_ Barry wanted to interject. But then he realized they hadn’t quite established that yet.

Joe sighed. “You’ll understand when you’re a parent.”

“I understand now, Dad, but seriously. Everything is good.”

“Okay, Iris. Can I talk to Barry one last time?”

Iris handed the phone over to him. “He wants to talk to you again.” 

Barry gulped, taking the phone back. “Hey Joe,” he said.

“Hey Barry, listen. You take good care of her. All right?” There was a weight to his tone that made Barry feel exposed. It was the verbal equivalent of Joe’s detective x-ray look. 

“Always, Joe,” Barry confessed honestly. “You know me.”

“Yeah, I do,” Joe muttered. “Stay out of trouble, son.”

Barry dropped the phone on the mattress after Joe said goodbye, ran his hands through his hair, then turned to Iris. “He knows.”

“What do you mean?” Iris frowned. “He can’t know.”

“I don’t know how he knows, but he definitely knows.” Barry nervously rubbed his hand against the back of his neck.

Iris looked thoughtful, then shrugged. “He might have suspicions, but he doesn’t know anything for sure.”

Barry paced back and forth between his bed and his desk. “Should we tell him?”

“Eventually,” she replied. “Shouldn’t we figure this out first?”

Barry stopped pacing and sat down beside her, taking her hands in his and studying her intently. “There’s nothing for me to figure out, Iris. You’ve always been the only girl for me. I’m all in.”

Iris’ eyes were welling, but her lips were smiling. She listened intently as he continued.

“You said on the phone that you were here with your best friend. And yesterday you said that we could be something more. I know what I want that something more to be. Iris, I want to be your boyfriend. And I want you to be my girlfriend.”

She squeezed his hand, then leaned forward to catch his lips with hers, kissing him softly and slowly. When she pulled away she was grinning. “My boyfriend, Barry.” She said, trying it on for size.

He grinned back and kissed her again. “My girlfriend, Iris.”

Iris nodded. “It feels right.”

“Yeah,” he replied. “It does.”

Iris was thoughtful for a minute. “I think we should wait to tell my dad in person.”

Barry nodded. “Okay, yeah, we can do that.”

“Don’t worry about him,” Iris reassured him. “Joe’s a grown man. And he’s going to have to accept that his daughter is grown, too. And she has _needs._ ”

She was half joking, but it turned Barry on. He groaned and shifted to climb over her. “I can help with that.”

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down into her. “If you insist, Mr. Allen.”

 

* * *

 

Iris needed to catch the train back to National City at 6:10 p.m., and it weighed on them. They spent most of the day alone in Barry’s room, kissing, touching, exploring, pleasuring. There was a sense that they needed to make up for lost time.

Eventually, Barry suggested that they shower and get dressed, and Iris packed her belongings into her weekend bag.

“You won’t forget me when I’m back at school, will you?” Iris said with an uncertain laugh. He knew she was trying to play it off like a joke, but there was something real hidden in her words. 

“Iris, I could never,” he responded, rubbing her arms and then hugging her close to his chest. 

“Are you sure, because there’s probably lots of cool, smart college girls dying to spend a weekend in your bed.” 

Barry laughed from his belly. “I don’t think so.”

Iris looked up at him with a frown. “You’re so blind, Allen. Do you know how many girls get drawn in by your adorkable charms?”

Barry looked at her quizzically, then smiled. “Only one that matters.” He kissed her on the forehead, then reached for her bags. “C’mon. We’re going to miss your train.”

At the station, their skin felt like magnets. Whenever they parted hands they snapped together again as soon as they could. Waiting for the train to board was agony. Iris was silent and forlorn. Barry worried about what that might mean, and wished he could read her mind.

“I didn’t expect this to happen when I was coming out here,” Iris blurted out after a long while.

Barry looked back at her, surprised. “I know, Iris. I didn’t have any expectations either.”

She nodded. “I’m glad it did,” she confirmed. “I just wanted you to know.”

He understood.

An announcement over the loudspeaker indicated the train to National City was now boarding.

“I don’t want to go,” she said, resting her forehead against his. Tears were running down Iris’ cheeks. Barry wanted to kiss them all away. To take her back to his room and make love to her until she forgot the pain of pending separation. He settled for wiping them away with his hands.

“We’re never really apart,” Barry whispered to her. He held her hands to his sternum where she could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat. “You’re always right here.” 

She nodded and kissed him. “We’ll talk right?”

“Everyday,” he assured her. “And it’s only a few weeks until Christmas break.”

She half gasped a chuckle through her tears and whispered, “Yeah, Christmas.”

“Two whole weeks of me, you — and Joe.” He said with a smile.

She laughed again, more certain this time.

“Iris, you have to go or you’re going to miss your train.”

She nodded, grabbed her bag and flung it over her shoulder, before wrapping her fingers around the back of his neck and pulling him into a long, last kiss.

“I love you,” he said.

“Love you, too.”

Iris pulled away reluctantly. He trailed his hands down her arm as she did, and caught her fingers for a moment before letting go. Then, Iris turned away and boarded the train.

  



	4. Home For Christmas

The next few weeks dragged on painfully as Barry finished up his first semester of college. Coursework became increasingly difficult in the lead-up to final exams. He was stressed, losing sleep, and sometimes forgetting to eat as he slogged his way through labs and endless equations.

The only mercy in this quagmire of academic purgatory was the prospect of a nightly talk with Iris. Every evening, sometime between eight and nine they would FaceTime. In some ways, their conversations were no different than before her Thanksgiving visit. Still, there was a new intimacy between them, and a new commitment on both of their parts to never miss their daily conversation.

It was a breath of fresh air to see her face. It was also a painful reminder that they weren’t actually together. He couldn’t reach out and hold her when he wanted to.

Tonight was no different. They were almost at the end of their separation; by Friday they would be done exams. Then, it would be time to go home to Joe’s for Christmas. But for now, Barry was resigned to staring longingly at the picture of his heart’s desire through his computer screen.

Iris was dressed casually in sweats and a tank top, one strap falling off of her shoulder. He thought back to Thanksgiving, when much more than just her shoulders had been bared to him. His mind drifted off into a memory of tangled sheets and soft whispers. Memory had sustained him until now, but the longer they were separated the more he ached to be with her again.

“What’s up, Bear?” Iris asked, noting his sullen face after a long pause.

He gave a half smile and responded quietly, “I just miss you.” 

She nodded sadly. “I miss you, too.”

“Can I ask you something?” He inquired, fidgeting with the keys on his keyboard.

“Of course,” she responded. “Anything.”

“How do you think we should tell Joe?”

Iris looked pensive. “We’ll need to wait for the right moment.” 

“How will we know when that is?”

She shrugged and suggested, “I can start the conversation when the time feels right.”

“Okay, but I want to be there, too. Just so I know how long I have left to live,” he joked.

Iris rolled her eyes and smiled.

 _God that smile_ , Barry thought, as something in his core warmed at the sight of her.

“You’ll be fine,” she assured him. “He is not going to kill you.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Barry replied. “I’ve seen his eyes flash red at more than one boyfriend you’ve brought home.”

“Yeah,” Iris squirmed, “But you’re… Barry.”

“I’m not sure that’s enough to save me this time.”

“Well, at least we’ll be in it together,” she consoled. “If he’s going to be mad, he can be mad at both of us.” She tilted her head to the side, exposing the length of her neck. Barry wished he could reach out and kiss her there.

“Barry?” She asked after a minute.

“Yeah?”

“Remember when I came to visit?” There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“Yeah,” he whispered breathlessly, his attention perking up a little. “‘Course.”

“I _miss_ you,” she whispered back. “Like…”

Barry gulped as she trailed off. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? 

“…I miss your skin,” she finished speaking so softly he almost didn’t hear her.

His stomach twisted at her words, simultaneously excited and anxious.

“Iris…” He started slowly, but then his words were tumbling out of his mouth in a landslide. “I think about you all the time… about that weekend all the time.”

She blinked slowly, batting her eyelashes unintentionally as she did. “Me too,” she confessed.

“I can’t wait to see you…” he trailed off as his mind wandered to what he and Iris might do when they saw each other in person again. It was on his mind whenever he could spare a thought between his studies.

“Only four more sleeps,” she said, smiling brightly at him.

He grinned back. “Yeah. Four more sleeps.”

He couldn’t wait.

 

* * *

 

When Friday finally arrived, snow was falling gently in Central City. 

Barry bounded off of the bus that dropped him just up the street from the West house. Despite the big bag of laundry slung over his shoulder, his feet felt feather light as he raced up the sidewalk, into the front yard and across the porch. Just beyond the front door was everything he’d been anxiously waiting for since Thanksgiving.

With pure joy, he burst through the entrance and dropped his bags. “Hello?” he called. “I’m home!”

The Christmas tree had already been set up, and was twinkling warmly in the corner of the living room. From the kitchen, he could just make out the sounds of Ella Fitzgerald singing _Jingle Bells_. The album _Ella Wishes You a Very Swinging Christmas_ was the definitive Christmas favourite in the West household. Now more than ever, that music made Barry feel like he was home.

His heart raced at the sound of footsteps upstairs, and before he knew it, Iris was hurrying down the steps. She paused on the landing, staring at him with a huge grin on her face.

Barry returned the look with an equally blissful expression. She looked adorable in a Christmas sweater and black leather skirt. As he took her in, time seemed to slow, and all that existed was the two of them. Any second now they would launch from their respective places, Barry would scoop her up in a warm embrace, and kiss her senseless. At least, that’s what he was anticipating. But it didn’t quite happen that way.

“There he is!” Joe exclaimed as he entered the front hall from the kitchen.

Barry broke his gaze with Iris and looked over, his smile faltering for just a millisecond before he composed himself. Tied around Joe’s neck and waist was an apron with a print of Santa’s suit on it. To add to the festive theme, it was haphazardly decorated with splatters of tomato sauce.

“Joe!” Barry exclaimed, before stepping forward to give Joe a hug.

“Look at you,” Joe smiled as he patted Barry on the shoulder. Barry grinned until Joe’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re different.”

“Am I?” Barry asked, bewildered.

“Yeah…” Joe scanned him with his detective x-ray look. For a minute, Barry thought he was in for it, but then Joe smiled again. “You look confident.”

“Oh,” Barry laughed. “Guess I’m just hitting my stride at school.”

“Exams go okay?”

“I think so,” Barry nodded, relieved.

“Atta boy. Well, might as well go put your stuff in your room. I hope you’re hungry — I’m making pasta.”

Iris, who had been watching them affectionately from her perch on the landing, darted down the stairs. “I can help,” she said, as she grabbed Barry’s laundry bag, then turned on a heel and disappeared up the stairs.

“You kids,” Joe laughed. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

He headed back to the kitchen, and Barry followed Iris. He took the steps two at a time, his mind registering his movements in slow motion as his heart pounded in his chest. He was finally about to have a moment alone with Iris since everything had changed between them.

He made his way down the hallway to the open door of his childhood bedroom. Inside, Iris had dropped his laundry bag at the foot of his bed. She smiled brightly as he entered, then skirted around him. She closed the door softly, leaned back against the wood, and gave him a look that set his skin on fire.

“Hi,” she said with a giggle.

“Hey,” he sighed in reply. He’d waited so long for this moment, but now that it was here, his nerves were faltering. He stood, frozen, studying her expression, aware of the crackling electricity growing in the room.

“Come here,” she instructed softly.

He didn’t need to be told twice. He almost rushed towards her, pinned her roughly against the door, and kissed her hungrily. But a nagging voice in his head warned against it. What if he scared her off and she decided she didn’t want this anymore?

He found himself approaching her slowly, and reaching a tentative hand out to cup her cheek, and caress her softly with his thumb. The skin of her neck was enticing beneath his fingers.

He was vaguely aware of the jovial thrum of _Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas_ drifting up the stairs.

“I missed you, Bear,” she said quietly as he drew closer. They’d said this to each other a hundred times since November, but somehow in person it was different.

Hesitantly, he leaned forward to brush his lips against hers. It was soft and tender. She kissed him back gently, pulling at his bottom lip and sending a shock of sparks down his spine. 

Forgetting his fears, he step forward and closed the gap between them. Her body was warm and inviting against his, and suddenly Barry didn’t want to hold back anymore.

He trailed kisses across her jaw and neck as his hands found her hips. Slowly, carefully, he pressed her back into the solid redwood door, lifting her slightly as he slipped his leg between her thighs. Iris answered his advance by grabbing him by the waist and pulling him firmly against her.

She let out a tiny gasp at the contact and then they were kissing again, heatedly this time. Her hands threaded through his hair as he held her waist, and pressed his fingers into the bare skin beneath her sweater, encouraging her to move in a slow rhythm. 

“Bear,” she breathed as his lips returned to her neck.

“Uh huh?” It was a guttural sound.

“Maybe — maybe we should wait until after dinner.”

“Yeah,” he said as he paused and placed his forehead against the hot skin of her neck. He was breathing heavily and his heart was hammering in his chest. He could feel Iris’ blood pumping quickly through her jugular, which did nothing to calm him. “You’re probably right.”

Her fingers kept kneading into his neck at the base of his hairline, and her hips were still shifting gently against him. She buried her face into his collarbone, and for a moment Barry thought she was going to push him away, until he felt the soft pressure of her lips on his skin.

“Iris...” he hissed. “You’re making it hard —“

She laughed as he realized what he’d said. Before he had time to blush, she was unzipping his jeans and sliding a hand into his boxers. “That’s kind of the point, isn’t it?” She teased.

He stared at her, mouth gaping as she grasped him with a delicate but firm touch. Her eyes flickered to his open mouth before she leaned forward to catch his lips in hers.

He rocked forward as she pulled at him. The pent up energy between them was enough to power a particle accelerator. Barry was vaguely aware that they should stop, but he was less and less rational the more she tugged, and all he could think about was getting rid of their clothes.

His hands were pushing up the hem of her skirt, forcing her further back into the door as he found the edges of her underwear. 

The movement of her hand paused as he pulled teasingly at the fabric. “Bear,” she moaned quietly.

“Barry! Iris!” Joe’s voice called up the stairs.

Barry’s heart stopped. He looked at Iris, who seemed more perturbed than startled. “Yeah?” She called back. 

“Need your help with dinner, please.”

“Okay!” She answered. “Be right there!”

She let go of her hold on him prematurely and giggled as he staggered backwards.

“Guess I should wash my hands before dinner,” she laughed as she pecked him on the corner of his mouth. 

“Yeah,” he uttered as he tried desperately to relax.

“I can tell him you’re unpacking if you need a minute,” she offered.

Barry nodded. “Might be a good idea.”

 

* * *

 

When Barry wandered into the kitchen a few minutes later he found Joe serving up the pasta and Iris sitting at the counter, grating parmesan. She and Joe were laughing and singing along to Ella’s rendition of _Frosty the Snowman_ , as if nothing untoward had happened upstairs mere moments ago. She looked up and caught Barry’s eye as he leaned against the door jam. Then, so quickly he almost missed it, she winked.

He grinned, then stepped forward into the kitchen. “What do you need me to do, Joe?” He asked.

Joe gestured to the dining room. “If you could set the table, that would be great, Bear.”

Obediently, Barry grabbed cutlery from a drawer and sauntered to the table. As he circled their places, laying the utensils down neatly, Joe and Iris followed, piping hot bowls of bolognese in hand.

Barry clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “This looks amazing, Joe! I missed your cooking.”

Joe laughed. “I wish I could say the same about you eating my food,” he joked. 

“Hey, a man’s got to eat.”

They took their seats and tucked in, chatting occasionally as Joe inquired about school and Iris asked her dad about his latest cases.

“You two seem kind of quiet tonight,” Joe said, waving his fork back and forth between them.

Iris laughed. “What do you mean, Dad?”

“You’ve hardly said a word to one another. I’d’ve thought you two would have loads of catching up to do.”

Barry looked across the table at Iris, then down at his plate as he tried to avoid his ears going red.

“You’re not fighting are you?” Joe asked bluntly. 

“No Dad,” Iris replied, “We’re just pretty much caught up already.”

“Oh?”

Barry watched quietly, wondering if Iris might broach the issue.

“Yeah, I mean we talk pretty regularly, don’t we Bear?”

Joe turned to Barry, with an expectant look on his face.

Barry shrugged his shoulders in an effort to seem nonchalant. “Yeah, we talk all the time.”

Joe looked back and forth between them, studiously. “Well that’s good that you two are still close, even though you’re in different cities now.” His gaze came to rest unwaveringly on Barry, who felt himself starting to sweat. If Joe only knew how close they’d been, Barry was sure Joe’s cutlery would be employed for more than twirling spaghetti.

Barry waited for Iris to confess, but she didn’t.

They finished eating in an awkward silence that was unusual for the West household. Barry squirmed in his seat the whole time, until he finally finished his meal and asked to be excused. “I uh — I need to wrap some Christmas presents,” he said, not untruthfully.

Joe gave him an up and down look, but nodded. “Okay. There’s gift wrap in the upstairs closet if you need some.”

“Thanks Joe.” Barry grabbed his plate and went to the kitchen to put it in the dishwasher, before rushing back upstairs to his room.

He closed the door behind him and leaned against the frame with an exhale. Staying cool in front of Joe was going to be harder than he thought. He wondered when Iris would think it was the right time.

He spent the next few hours carefully wrapping presents and making cards. For Joe, he’d found a rare pressing of Miles Davis’ _Kind of Blue_. For Iris, he’d had a replica of her mother’s wedding band made. It cost him every penny he’d earned as a research assistant over the course of first semester. He grinned to himself at how well he’d done with gifts this year.

He was just putting the finishing touches on Iris’ card when he heard the door to his bedroom open and close softly.

“What are you working on?” He heard her ask behind him.

He ungracefully scrambled to hide her present behind a pile of books, even though it was already wrapped. “Oh nothing,” he feigned, with an impish smile, as he turned and stood up from his desk.

She grinned back at him. “ _Nothing_ wouldn’t happen to be for me, would it?”

“It might be,” he replied, as he slipped his arms around her waist.

“Dad’s gone to bed,” she said quietly, as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

“So early?” Barry asked, almost sounding concerned. In reality, he couldn’t have been happier.

“He had the early shift this morning, so he’s kind of beat,” Iris explained, looking up at him with heat in her big brown eyes.

“Oh… well, lucky for us.”

“Yeah, lucky for us.”

Barry’s heart was racing again. They were so close that he could feel her breath warm against his cheek. He leaned down to catch her lips in his. Finally, they could pick up where they left off before dinner.

He directed her gently towards the bed, their legs reaching the edge of the mattress in no time whatsoever. In a flurry of limbs and fabric, they peeled the clothing from their bodies. The cool air of the room was prickly against their skin. The gentle touch of each others’ hands raised the hairs on the back of Barry’s neck, and set Iris’ nerves on fire.

He kissed her deeply. Her mouth was bruising against his as he sat back on the edge of the bed. He revelled in the sight of her in front of him. She was the most beautiful woman in the world.

“C’mere,” he said quietly, as he took her hands and guided her to straddle him where he sat.

She smirked as she sat astride him, and ducked her head to kiss his neck while she ran her fingers through his hair. He gripped the flesh of her bum, pulling her against him so that his now hardened cock was pressed dangerously against her pussy.

She reached a hand between them to grasp him, teasing his length. He let out a little moan, which Iris quickly shushed by pressing her mouth against his. “We have to be quiet, remember?” She said. “My dad…”

“Right,” hissed Barry. “That goes for you, too.” He grinned as he waved away her hand and pressed them against each other again.

She groaned quietly and began to roll against him. A warm up wouldn’t be necessary. She was already hot and wet and ready for him. She lifted her hips up and grasped him, sinking down over him as he opened his mouth to suck in a deep breath.

Their eyes met as she took him fully. Barry touched a hand to her cheek and brushed away a lock of hair as he kissed her. “I love you,” he said.

She nodded and bit her lip. “I love you.”

He rocked her gently but deliberately as he held fast to her waist. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into her chest. He trailed kisses across her collarbone and down her breast, taking a nipple in his mouth as she gasped into the cold air of his bedroom. 

Their bodies were warm and comforting against one another. Barry needed more of her. He gripped the flesh of her ass again as he pulled her further against him, and trailed his other hand up her spine, then neck and into her hair. He gripped at the strands and pulled her head gently to the side to suck on her neck.

“Oh,” she moaned audibly, as they thrust against one another.

“Shhh,” he responded, with a quick slap to her ass. He meant it playfully, not realizing this would cause a second, louder moan.

His cock throbbed and he rocked a little faster still as it dawned on him that she’d liked it.

He resisted the urge to repeat the gesture, lest they lose all control and wake up Joe. But he made a mental note to try it again when they had the place to themselves.

They grasped and rocked until finally release was near. Their bodies trembled as they fought to keep quiet. Barry felt a sharp sensation at his shoulder, as Iris stifled a moan, nipping him unintentionally with her teeth. His movements quickened beneath her, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer still. Finally, they crashed into one another, warm, sweaty, satiated.

Barry, still panting, lay back on the bed. Iris, whose muscles were still relaxing after temporarily going rigid in the throes of her orgasm, leaned forward over his chest and placed an ear to his ribs.

He smiled as he stroked her hair, while she touched the occasional kiss to his chest.

“Why didn’t we do this sooner?” Iris whispered, almost rhetorically.

“Like before dinner?” Barry asked, slightly dazed.

Iris laughed. “No Barry, I mean… all those years in this house together. You’d think we would’ve figured it out.”

Barry wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. “Maybe it was easier to realize how we felt about one another when we were both in our own space.”

She looked up at him thoughtfully, and kissed him sweetly. “Very wise of you,” she concluded.

He nodded and kissed her again, cuddling her and threading his fingers through her hair.

After a few minutes she pulled away, looking pensive. “I should get back to my room.” She said finally, making a move to get out of the bed. But Barry, who felt like someone had scooped his heart out of his chest at this news, grabbed her by hand.

“What? No, Iris, please.”

His eyes hooked her with warmth and intensity, and she studied him cautiously. Barry knew she was weighing the risks of what might happen if her Dad discovered them in the morning. 

“Stay,” he pleaded.

She looked at him hesitantly as his eyes begged silently with her.

Then, she nodded, and motioned for him to get under the covers as she slid in beside him. He wrapped his arms around her. Her warm skin beckoned to him once more, as he shifted over her and pulled her body close. She returned his embrace, pulling him down into her as they lost themselves in each other again.

 

* * *

 

When Barry woke in the morning, Iris was still fast asleep. He smiled at the sight, pleased to remember his involvement with the reason she was so tired.

His stomach rumbled at the smell of sautéing onions wafting up from the kitchen, along with the grooving rhythms of Joe’s 1970s playlist.

Barry quietly got out of bed, pulled on some pyjamas and followed the aroma of home cooking into the heart of the West household. He watched, bemused, as his foster dad hummed quietly and stepped in time with the music as he cooked.

“Hey Bear,” Joe said, looking up from the breakfast feast he was preparing. “You sleep all right?”

Barry blushed. It was the best sleep he’d had since November. “Yeah, pretty good,” he replied casually.

“Good. How does the full spread sound?”

“Sounds great,” Barry grinned, taking a seat at the counter. “What’s the occasion?”

“My two kids under the same roof, again,” Joe said, before continuing to hum happily while he stirred the onions which were now caramelizing. “Speaking of which,” he continued after a minute. “You haven’t seen Iris, have you?”

Barry’s heart stopped.

“She wasn’t in her room this morning.”

Barry thought for a moment that the sound of blood pumping in his ears was all he could hear, until he realized it was the baseline of Joe’s music. The tune was familiar, but Barry couldn’t quite place it until the singer began the chorus. The lyrics hit him like a right hook to the chest.

_How long has this been going on?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this chapter a bit! Turns out it is hard to write Christmas scenes in August. lol!
> 
> Still, I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> The song referenced at the end is "How Long?" by Ace.


	5. Truth Comes Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Telling Joe isn't going to be straight forward.
> 
> Heads up for an instance or two of strong language in this chapter.

_How long has this been going on?_

Barry searched for a response for what seemed like eons. Joe didn’t seem to notice and continued to prepare breakfast, shuffling around the counter as he began to serve up plates.

The music was drilling into Barry’s bones. Tiny beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. His ribs were constricting as he tried desperately get some air in his lungs.

“Joe.” The name escaped Barry’s mouth with urgency. His mouth was cotton dry. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Joe, I — Iris — “

“Mmm?” Joe mumbled questioningly, only half paying attention.

“Joe, I have to tell you something,” Barry confessed, his tone dead serious.

Joe stopped puttering, and rested the cooking tongs in his hand on the counter. He turned to face his foster son, a look of curiosity on his face.

“Joe, you know I would never do anything to hurt Iris,” Barry started. He immediately regretted using that as his opener. Joe looked at him like he was going to grab the frying pan from the stove and hit him over the head with it.

“I — “ Barry stammered. “I love her.”

Joe sucked in a deep breath.

Barry closed his eyes and braced for impact.

But to his surprise, the sound of laughter filled the kitchen. He opened one eye to survey the scene.

“Mmhmm,” hummed Joe, still laughing. “I know, Barry.”

All of the blood drained from Barry’s face. “Is it that obvious?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Joe chuckled, then breathed deeply and sighed. “I have watched you be in love with Iris since you were old enough to know what love is. I’ve been waiting for years for you to tell her.”

Barry tried desperately to compute what Joe was telling him. “So... if I told you we were dating... you wouldn’t be surprised?”

“Surprised? No. Concerned, yes.”

A floorboard creaked at the entrance to the kitchen. Barry looked up to see Iris standing in the doorway, dressed in her pyjamas, looking a little panicked.

“Hey, you two,” she said in a soft tone, indicating awareness that her arrival was interrupting an important conversation.

“Hey,” Joe replied. “Where’d you get to this morning? I wanted to know how you wanted your eggs done.”

It seemed that although Joe was unsurprised by the change in status between Iris and Barry, he was still in denial about what new extracurriculars they might be exploring.

Iris looked at Barry and then back at her dad. She hesitated for a moment then walked to Barry’s side. Tentatively, she reached for his hand, and searched his eyes for reassurance. Barry nodded ever so slightly. Finally, she turned to face her dad.

“I was with Barry, Dad.”

Joe looked back and forth between them studiously. Then, his facial features relaxed completely, as he let out a little, “Oh.” There was an element of recognition in his expression and something else that might have been either relief or dismay. It was hard to tell.

They waited for him to react further. But Joe seemed to drift away as his eyes shifted out of focus, and he appeared lost in thought.

“Dad?” Iris asked. “Say something, please.”

“I knew something was up,” he muttered as he shook his head and returned to the counter to finish serving breakfast. “You two have been acting weird ever since Thanksgiving...”

Joe was pensive as they ate their meal, digesting the information he’d been given.

“This didn’t have anything to do with that night of drinking you two had, did it?” He asked after a while.

“Dad —“ Iris protested.

“We weren’t actually drinking,” Barry confessed.

“Yeah, Dad, Barry just made that up.”

“Why would you...” Joe’s voice trailed off. Barry watched as a look of understanding appeared on Joe’s face. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

More uncomfortable silence followed until Joe said, “Have you thought through all the possible outcomes?”

Barry and Iris looked at each other quizzically.

“What do you mean, Dad?”

“You’re both still young. What if you break up? Are you going to hate each other?”

They both opened their mouths to reply at the same time.

“We could never hate each other —“ Iris said, while Barry answered:

“We’re not going to break up.”

Iris and Joe turned to Barry in surprise.

“You’re not, huh?” Joe inquired.

Barry withered a little under Joe’s stare. He shook his head awkwardly and opened his mouth before any sound came out. “Well, no — I mean...” He looked at Iris, who was surveying him with an unreadable expression.

Joe looked at his watch, as if he’d forgotten something, wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood up before grabbing his plate. “I’m on the 10 to 6 shift today. We’ll talk more about this when I get home.”

Barry stared sullenly at the table, feeling like he’d just gotten in trouble. He and Iris remained still as statues until long after Joe had headed out the door.

Eventually, Barry dared to look up at her. She was staring at the front door, her mouth rounded down at the edges.

“I’m not sure that went very well,” Barry said quietly.

Iris glanced at him. “I thought we agreed I was going to start the conversation, when we were both in the room.” There was an edge to her tone that gave Barry a chill.

“We did — it’s just — I thought he knew — and the music — I couldn’t hide it from him...”

Without a word, Iris got up from her seat, went to put away her dishes and disappeared upstairs. Barry was left searching for something to call after her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

When he went to investigate where she’d gone, he found the door to her bedroom closed and locked.

“Iris?” He tapped the door with a finger. “Please let me in.”

There was no response.

He slumped down against the closed door and waited, saying her name every now and again, in an attempt to coax her into speaking to him.

After a while, an idea popped into his brain.

He ducked back to his room, grabbed the tiny box he’d wrapped for her the night before, and the card he’d made to go with it. Carefully, he placed the gift outside her door, and slid the card under the gap. Judging by the sound of the paper scraping across the hardwood, he was pretty sure he’d sent it halfway across her room.

He strained, listening for any movement. Finally, the bed creaked as she moved to pick it up.

Satisfied, he went back to his room and sat on the end of his bed. His knees were jostling like he’d just drank a whole pot of coffee. He couldn’t seem to keep them still.

He thought about what he’d written in the card.

 

_Iris,_

 

_I was going to have this made long before you came to visit at Thanksgiving. But ever since then, I’ve known that it was the perfect gift. I know how much it meant to you that your parents shared this as a symbol of their love. I know how devastated you were when you lost the real one. I hope that this will be a reminder to you of your family, but also of the love that I have for you._

 

_Merry Christmas,_

 

_Barry_

 

Down the hall he heard her door crack open, and the sound of paper tearing. He waited anxiously as a pregnant pause followed.

The sound of her steps echoing in the hall announced her slow approach. He sat forward, hands fidgeting in his lap as she entered his room. She advanced towards him with the ring held out in front of her, dangling from the chain he’d attached to it.

“This is a wedding ring, Bear,” she said, obviously perplexed.

He nodded. “A replica of your mom’s.”

She stared at it, as it swung back and forth like a pendulum.

“You don’t have to wear it on your hand or anything,” he said, quickly realizing she was a little freaked out. “I just wanted to get you something meaningful.”

At this, Iris burst into tears, which was pretty much the opposite effect of what Barry had been hoping for.

“Oh — okay,” he scrambled to his feet and carefully took the ring from her hand, “Don’t worry, if it’s not the right thing we can just pretend…”

Iris shook her head. “No Barry, it’s okay, it’s beautiful.” She reached forward to take it back from him. “It’s just… What do you think my Dad meant by all that? Does he disapprove of us? Does he think we’re doomed to fail?”

It finally hit Barry why Iris was so upset. “He just needs some time, Iris. It’ll be okay. He’ll come around. And if he doesn’t... well… honestly it doesn’t change anything for me. I still want to be with you.”

Iris gave a half smile through her sobs, sucking in ragged breaths as Barry rubbed her arms. She cupped the ring in her hands until her tears finally slowed, and she managed to ask, “Can you put this on for me?”

Barry smiled. “Of course.”

She turned around and held up her hair. He placed the chain around her neck and fiddled with the clasp until it finally latched at her neck. She touched the ring as it hung delicately against her skin.

Barry wrapped his arms around her stomach and pulled her back into his chest. “I’m sorry I told Joe without you.”

She nodded in acceptance of his apology.

“Honestly,” Barry said, tilting his head forward and touching a kiss to her neck. “I don’t think it was the us-being-together part that freaked him out. I think it was the you-being-in-my-bedroom-in-the-morning part.” He kissed her again.

Iris laughed. “Yeah, we pushed a little far with that.”

“Mhmm.” Another kiss. “Maybe we should avoid having sex under Joe’s roof for a while.” The gravely tone of his voice suggested just the opposite.

Iris drew in a sharp breath as he swiped her hair away and kissed the other side of her neck. “Yeah… maybe…” She breathed.

She pressed back into him suggestively and reached a hand up to caress his neck as he continued to suck her pressure point.

The heat between them intensified. His hand was warm against her belly, and soon he was pulling at the drawstring of her pyjama bottoms, and slipping his fingers under the fabric.

Her body was familiar to him now, and he found her clit with ease. She arched back into him at the touch, as his other hand reached its way under her top and across her front to her breast.

“We really shouldn’t…” she tried to say.

“You’re right,” he replied, as he nipped at her ear, and sucked the soft skin just beneath. “Should I stop?”

“No,” she breathed. “Don’t stop.”

His fingers rubbed against her swollen, wet folds, searching for her entrance as he cupped her breast and kept her body tight against his. He sunk into her with two fingers, working her until she was writhing against him. She uttered quiet vowels with each movement. The sound made him hard, and his length rubbed through their clothes into the soft flesh of her ass.

“God, Iris,” he moaned. “You’re so hot.”

“Yeah?” She whined.

“Yeah. You make me so hard.”

“Uh huh.”

“I just want to — “ He trailed off as a shy flush rose to his cheeks. He lost the words as quickly as they’d started to fall from his lips.

“What do you want to do, Barry?” She asked, her voice soft and coaxing.

He was quiet, save for the sound of his heavy breaths against her ear, as he pressed his cheek into her neck.

Iris turned her head over her shoulder. “I want to give you what you want,” she whispered, trying to put him at ease, trying to get him to let lose.

He was overcome with a maddening desire to feel her skin. He released her momentarily to shove her pyjama pants down, and tear her tank top from her torso. He quickly did away with his sweats, too, before clasping her body back against his. His hands found their way back to her breast and center, while his cock rubbed against the soft cheek of her bum.

They shifted hungrily against each other. Barry’s shaft fell between her legs, and rubbed against her slick folds as they fumbled furiously for more contact.

He was panting rhythmically into her neck. “I want you like this,” he said, finally.

Iris nodded, and pulled them forwards to the bed where she climbed onto the mattress on hands and knees.

Barry almost came at the sight of her positioned like this, ready for him and willing. She turned her head over her shoulder towards him, watching expectantly as he kneeled to the mattress. He paused and reached a hand out to stroke her spine.

The skin at the small of her back was beckoning to him. He leaned forward to press his lips against the tempting flesh, and trail kisses until he was sucking at the round flesh of her booty.

“Barry...” she pleaded, imploring him not to take too long.

He was absorbed by her skin and the taste of it against his tongue. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

Impatient, she shifted and reached a hand between her legs to grab him by the cock. He grunted in pleasure and surprise while she flicked her wrist a few times to make sure he was good and ready. Then she pulled him forward, guiding him into her cunt.

He revelled in the view as he sunk forward into her, letting out an uncontrolled groan as he did. She was plush, warm and wet.

He couldn’t decide where to put his hands. There were too many options. Her spine arched seductively before him, and he found the ridges of her lean back muscles beautiful and enticing to touch. But then there was the cushion of her booty, which was satisfying to grasp as he pushed forward into her. And then, because he wanted to make sure she was feeling just as good as he was, he could reach forward to cup her breasts or down to play with her clit. In the end, he greedily tried all options, ending with the latter, which made her squirm and moan in ecstasy.

She sat up on her knees and threw an arm around his neck as he pleasured her. Her neck twisted over her shoulder to kiss him, their tongues melding hotly, encouraging him to continue the steady rhythm with which he was pressing and pulling.

“You like that?” She asked.

“Feels so good,” he whispered, kissing her shoulder and sucking at the skin.

Good was an understatement.

Iris was relaxing into him, her muscles going pliant as her pleasure increased. She folded forward, grabbing some pillows as she did, and tucking them under her belly so she could relax fully while still maintaining the height of her pelvis.

Barry angled himself over her, finding a spot that created just the right friction. “Oh my God,” he groaned.

Iris let out a cry as he reached under her to hold her breast. He kissed her neck and pressed his cheek against her skin. The feel of her body soft and relaxed under him was intoxicating. “Iris,” he breathed into her ear as his speed increased. “I’m going to cum.”

“Yes baby, cum. Cum with me.”

He thrust harder, grinding her into the pillows. She gasped, her hips writhing under him, jerking back as she approached completion.

Barry could hardly hold back, but the pleasure radiating through his shaft was so much that he tried to coax himself to last as long as possible. He wanted to enjoy every feeling of Iris’ body, even though he was nearly at his pinnacle.

“Iris I-I can’t hold it anymore.”

“Let go,” she whispered. Then she was crying out and convulsing, as her own orgasm rippled through her body.

With one last thrust, Barry released, gasping as his length pulsated inside her. Still panting, he collapsed to the side of her.

“Wow,” he breathed as he stared up at the ceiling.

Iris giggled. “Good?”

“Amazing.”

He turned towards her and wrapped his arm around her back, massaging gently and kissing her repeatedly as they savoured their state of bliss.

“I love you Iris.”

“Love you, too,” she replied.

“I like the way you were talking,” Iris said quietly, as they cuddled. A shy smile crept across her face. Their noses were mere inches apart.

“Yeah?” He asked. “It wasn’t too much?”

Iris shook her head. “No, it was hot.”

Barry grinned stupidly. “I’ll remember that for next time, then.” He leaned forward and sweetly planted a kiss on her nose.

“We could try talking more... y’know, during.” She said, batting her eyelashes.

“Like ... dirty talk?” Barry’s heart was thrumming again this rib cage. He was both turned on and a little scared. It wasn’t something he’d explored very much before.

Iris nodded and bit her lip seductively.

“Yeah, okay, we could try that,” he agreed, grasping her hip and kissing her deeply.

He wished, for a moment, he had superhuman recovery time. If he did, he’d be loving her again, telling her things that would make her blush.

 

* * *

 

By six o’clock, Barry and Iris found themselves in the living room, waiting anxiously for Joe’s return.

Around 6:30 the front door finally swung open. Joe entered looking dishevelled.

“Hi Dad,” Iris started hesitantly.

Joe nodded at them and quietly hung up his coat. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts. He walked across the living room to take a seat in the armchair across from them.

Barry waited for him to speak, feeling a little like he might be sick.

“Dad we — “ Iris began.

But Joe waved his hand. “Iris — it’s okay. I’ve been thinking a lot about this today. I _know_ how much you two care for one another. I’ve known it since before Barry moved into this house. You’ve always had a special relationship. It’s one of the reasons why I took you in, Barry. At work, I see what happens when a kid loses their parent to violence, or one ends up in jail. You endured both. And I didn’t want that end for you. I didn’t want it for Iris, either. You needed a loving home or Iris was going to lose her best friend.”

Joe breathed deeply, and continued. “You caught me off guard this morning... Things are moving pretty fast between you two, huh?”

Barry and Iris blushed, their eyes failing to meet Joe’s. This was not a conversation that anyone in the room was comfortable having.

Joe’s eyes drifted out of focus for a moment. “Then again, maybe that kind of makes sense, given how close you are. You’re both getting older, and I’m not going to tell you what you can and cannot do in that regard…” Here he took a long pause.

“But you better not let me catch you,” he finished. “And make sure you respect one another. Love is a delicate thing. You gotta treat it with kindness.”

Barry reached for Iris’ hand. He smiled and squeezed her fingers before noticing that her eyes were welling up.

“So...” She started, going over to him. “Does this mean we have your blessing?”

Joe’s eyes misted over, and he gave a half laugh, half sigh. He stood up to hug his daughter.

“Iris, you know I just want you to be happy.”

“Barry makes me happy, Dad.”

“I know he does, Baby Girl, he always has.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have Barry & Iris getting comfortable with one another and exploring things more sexually...
> 
> Might continue with a couple more chapters along those lines :)


End file.
